Drone shot of Thrissur Zoological Park. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Thrissur
Thrissur Zoological Park, located in the lush green forests of Puthuru, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 4 pm on October 28. Forest and Wildlife Minister AK Saseendran will preside over the function.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi, Ministers R. Bindu, KN Balagopal, J. Chinchurani, Roshy Augustine, K. Krishnankutty, KB Ganesh Kumar, Kadannappally Ramachandran and PA Mohamed Riyas, along with Thrissur Mayor MK Varghese, District Panchayat President VS Prince, political parties former Minister MLA, MPs, MLAs are expected to attend, Revenue Minister K. Rajan said.
Relocation of the Thrissur Zoo from its cramped premises in Chembukkavu has been a demand for decades. The proposal gained traction in 2006 during the VS Achuthanandan government, which launched the Puthur project by building a border wall. Later, during the Oommen Chanda government, when KB Ganesh Kumar served as the Forest Minister, the project was shifted from the Zoo Department to the Forest Department for better implementation.
With the formation of KIIFB under the first Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in 2016, the project finally took shape. In 2018, the ecological disposal of the 338-acre forest plot was secured, paving the way for full-scale construction.
Funded with ₹ 331 crore from KIIFB and ₹ 40 crore from Plan Fund, the park was rapidly developed. KIIFB later allocated another ₹17 crore.
Designed to meet global standards, the Thrissur Zoological Park will include several innovative features such as a petting zoo and a hologram-based virtual zoo, developed through a public-private partnership. KSRTC minibuses will operate inside the park while double-decker buses will connect the city to Puthur.
All the animals from the existing Chembukkavu Zoo will be shifted to Puthur by October 28, except for a few deer who will stay here temporarily. A new deer safari park, not part of the original plan, is also being prepared to accommodate them. New species of animals from other states and abroad will soon be added to the park’s collection.
After the inauguration, the park will run a limited trial run for two months, allowing controlled visitor entry. It will be fully open to the public from January 2026.
Published – 24 Oct 2025 20:02 IST
