Debate rages over plan to relocate Thiruvananthapuram Zoo in Kerala

Himalayan Bear at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo (File) | Photo credit: Nirmal Harindran

The debate over the Chief Minister’s plan to shift the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo outside the city continued on Thursday with former mayor VK Prasanth opposing it after current mayor VV Rajesh supported the proposal.

Mr. Rajesh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) argued that the relocation of the zoo must be discussed positively. Many zoo animals were dying as temperatures rose due to climate change. The zoo also currently did not have some of the animals that were there before, which disappointed visitors. Experts also pointed out that the zoo in its current premises is not able to properly solve the problems of waste, heat and noise. By moving the zoo to a place that was far away from the city, more suitable for the animal ecosystem, bigger and built according to international standards, their lives could be saved. Rare species could also be brought to the facility and protected.

The mayor also pointed out that the city of Thiruvananthapuram has attracted more international attention compared to when the zoo was established there.

According to him, the government would have to decide on the location of the new facility.

However, former mayor VK Prasanth alleged that commercial interests were behind the move of the business, which was a green lung and on which a number of people depended. “One can assume that the proposal is aimed at handing over land to some businessmen. Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is our pride. If the Chief Minister says he wants to convert it into Madison Square, the people of Thiruvananthapuram and the people of Kerala would say it is better than that,” said Mr. Prasanth, who belongs to the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

“Part of the agenda to destroy the city”

The move was part of an agenda to destroy the city, he further claimed.

In a post on social media, Mr. Prasanth pointed out that it was a rare facility where a zoo and a museum were located together — a zoo on 36 acres and a garden on 19 acres. Madison Square, by contrast, was only six acres. The 167-year-old zoo was also part of the city’s heritage. “Attracts 12 million visitors. Generates ₹8 crore revenue,” Mr Prasanth wrote.

Located in the heart of the city, it was a place where the common man, including children, could go without spending too much money. Shifting to Neyyar or Palode would make it difficult for the public to reach there due to traffic problems, he said.

PS Easa, a biologist and conservationist, said the chief minister had only initiated a discussion and had not imposed any decision. The proposal to move the zoo needs to be looked at from the point of view of nature conservation and not just recreation. One of the goals of zoos was also the conservation breeding of endangered species in order to increase them and release them back into the wild.

The next question was where to move the zoo. It should be discussed whether it should be moved to an area close to forests due to the possibility of spreading zoonotic diseases.

He also pointed out that zoos can have value in helping to create awareness about animal and habitat conservation.

There were many examples of zoos that were far from the city but continued to attract visitors. Mr Easa said there were also many models, such as the Singapore Zoo, when deciding how zoos should be.

Published – 17 Sep 2026 13:28 IST