Jamshedpur: Tata Steel dedicated the remodeled Tata Steel Zoological Park to the residents of Steel City today, reiterating the Company’s commitment towards preserving biodiversity.
T V Narendran, CEO & Managing Director, Tata Steel inaugurated the ‘remodeled’ park at the Entrance Plaza of the Zoo, in the presence of Raghunath Pandey, President, Tata Steel Zoological Society (TSZS) Union, Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President Corporate Services Tata Steel and senior leadership of Tata Steel, Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited and members of Tata Steel Zoological Park, among others.
T V Narendran said “Tata Steel Zoological Park has been in the forefront to raise people’s awareness on the need for conservation of wildlife and biodiversity of the region through various educational activities organised round the year including Nature Camp for Girl students; touch and learn activity, Zookeeper for a Day, Keeper talks etc. Biodiversity loss, both locally and worldwide, forms one of the most urgent and accelerating sustainability challenges humanity is presently facing. It is crucial to inform citizens about these challenges and engage them in finding solutions.”
Opening of the entrance plaza facilitates separate passages for visiting public to come into the Zoo and safe exit with facility for parking their four and two-wheelers.
It would additionally have souvenir e-cart with charging stations, shop, change/rest rooms for staff, AV room, e-ticketing facility, CCTV surveillance etc. A beautiful fountain park and herbivore exhibit has also been set up. These facilities are now ready for opening to the visiting public.
Tata Steel Limited conceptualized the creation of a Zoo in 1992 in Jamshedpur as an endeavour to raise people’s awareness on the need to conserve forests and wildlife in the Singhbhum landscape. The zoo, on an average, has more than 4 lakh visitors in a year and is one of the major attractions of Jamshedpur.
TSZP is a recognized ‘Medium’ category Zoo by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The CZA evaluates Zoos on periodic basis and stipulates conditions for their improvement. TSZP has been evaluated by CZA at periodic intervals and major recommendations to meet the prescribed standards are creation of a veterinary hospital with postmortem room and incinerator, shifting of animal enclosures, separate entry and exit gates for visiting public, strengthening perimeter wall etc.
Tata Steel Zoological Society engaged Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited (TSUISL) to help in redrawing the master layout plan of the park. Taxonomic display of animals in thematic zones was chosen as the broad principle for the new plan. Accordingly, the layout plan was prepared with following themes:
1) The Reptile Zone- to exhibit Gharial, Mugger, non-poisonous snakes, tortoises & turtles
2) The Bear & Primate Zone- To exhibit sloth bear; Gray Langur; Bonnet Macaque; Rhesus Macaque and mandrills
3) The Birds & Butterfly Zone: To exhibit different species of flying and ground birds including an aquatic bird aviary and butterfly house
4) The Carnivore Zone- To exhibit big cats like Lion, Tiger & leopard and Hyena
5) The Herbivore Zone- To exhibit Zebra; Hog Deer; composite exhibits for Sambar & Spotted deer; Blackbuck & Nilgai; Barking deer
6) Nature Interpretation Zone- with Amphitheatre for citizen science activities; library & museum and nature trails for birders.
7) Hospital campus- To accommodate modern diagnostic equipment’s like X-ray; ultrasound; Pathological & Animal nutrition laboratory; Zoo commissary; surgical room; inpatient wards for birds & primates; carnivores & herbivores; Post mortem room and incinerator. Quarantine area to accommodate newly arriving animals to the Zoo.
CZA had approved the new layout plan of the Zoological Park in July 2020. However, the plan for its implementation got delayed due to Covid, and the work commenced in 2022. The entire project has been phased out and it is likely to be completed by the year 2025.
