Bhubaneswar, Nov 24: Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art tiger enclosure at Sambalpur Zoo, marking a major milestone in the zoo’s development. 

The upcoming enclosure, spread over 1,500 square metres, will house two pairs of Royal Bengal Tigers for the first time. Pradhan highlighted that the Central Zoo Authority under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved the project, adding that Sambalpur Zoo is uniquely positioned with its scenic hilltop setting and rich biodiversity.

The new facility will include a 155-square-metre night house designed like a natural cave, a 100-square-metre kraal, a cascade waterfall over natural rocks, a 50-square-metre water pool, hillocks, logs, and natural-style dens. These features aim to replicate the tigers’ natural habitat, ensuring both comfort and safety, with boundaries secured by chain-link and powered fencing.

Pradhan also laid the foundation for an underwater viewing enclosure for Mugger and Gharial crocodiles, allowing visitors to observe them on land and underwater. The Minister reiterated plans to develop Sambalpur Zoo as Odisha’s second Nandankanan, supported jointly by the Centre and State. The zoo already draws visitors with its glass-walled leopard enclosure, nocturnal house, and an orchidarium featuring 100 orchid species.

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