CM’s plan to relocate city zoo sparks debate

Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s “dream project” to move the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo outside the city limits to Neyyar or some forest area and convert the vacated space into a city square has activists and city residents worried.

Talking about the facilities to attract visitors and make them stay longer in the state, Mr. Satheesan asked whether the zoo should continue to exist in the heart of the city. “It’s cruelty to animals. They have their own habitat. We should move them to Neyyar or some forest area, an environment suitable for their habitat.”

The vacated space should develop into a beautiful square similar to Madison Square in New York or Prague. All facilities for visitors should be there, said Mr. Satheesan.

However, activists have expressed concern over the proposal. In a social media post, writer and activist Sreedevi S. Kartha called the idea strange.

Asked about the necessity of zoos at a time when more scientific information was available about wild animals, their natural behavior and habitat, Ms. Kartha pointed out that conservation does not mean collecting more wild animals, but protecting forests and wildlife ecosystems. Although the IUCN recognized the contribution of zoos to conservation, research and reintroduction, the idea was not for animals to continue in human-restricted conditions, but to create conditions for them to survive in forests.

She added that setting up captive wildlife facilities on the edges of the forest to provide a more natural environment is a very simplistic way of looking at the problem. Instead, it needs to be approached from the perspective of zoonotic diseases that could spread from zoos to the wild or vice versa.

Veena Maruthoor, an environmentalist, told The Hindu that zoos are an outdated concept. In a post on social networks, she pointed out that zoos are not needed anywhere, animals should be able to live in peace.

Former zoo veterinarian Jacob Alexander said that if the intention is to protect the interests of the animals, the newly built Puthur Zoo should be properly maintained and the animals relocated there. Building another facility to house the zoo animals was not practical. The Lion Safari Park at Neyyar suffered due to lack of space. There were no big cats and it was closed. Instead of relocating the zoo, a safari could be started to allow the animals to roam in the open air.

We should also learn from the problems in the functioning of the elephant rehabilitation center in Kottoor, which resembled a concrete jungle.

Spread over 30 acres of land in the heart of the city, Thiruvananthapuram Zoo was established as an adjunct to the Napier Museum in 1859 by the king of erstwhile Travancore to attract more visitors. However, it was still not making a profit. It made no sense to increase the liability by creating another such device, said Dr. Alexander.

Residents of the city drew attention on social networks to the fact that the grounds of the zoo and the museum are the green lungs of the city, where morning walkers and many elderly people flock. The zoo itself was home to hundreds of birds, including migratory birds, butterflies and rare trees. All of this would suffer if the facility were moved.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 22:10 IST