The largest artfully curated safari park outside of Africa is currently located in Sharjah. The Sharjah Safari, which was opened in February 2022. It spans roughly 2,000 acres.
The government statement read, “The proposed Aravalli park would be five times more this size and it would include a large herpetarium (a zoological exhibition space for reptiles and amphibians), aviary/bird park, four zones for big cats, a large area for herbivores, an area for exotic animal birds, an underwater world, nature trails, visitors, tourism zones, botanical gardens, biomes, equatorial, tropical, coastal, desert, etc."
Tghe state government revealed that in this reagrd Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited Sharjah Safari.
Khattar reached Dubai on a day's visit on Wednesday. Upon his return on Thursday, Khattar said the NCR region of Haryana had immense potential for the development of a jungle safari.
He also said that the Jungle safari scheme will not only boost tourism but also provide employment opportunities to local residents.
"The Jungle safari project of Haryana would be a joint project of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Haryana government. Under the scheme, the central government will also provide funds to Haryana for the project," said Khattar.
Two businesses with international experience in designing and running such facilities have been shortlisted after a global Expression of Interest for the project was floated, the chief minister added.
Khattar said, "The companies will now compete in an international design competition for the designing, overseeing and operating of the park. An Aravalli Foundation will be set up to manage the project."
The chief minister added that the Central Zoo Authority had done an evaluation study of the area and agreed on the technical feasibility of setting up such a park.
Developing a jungle safari will, on the one hand, aid in the preservation of the Aravalli mountain range, while, on the other, a large number of visitors from Delhi and nearby areas will come for tourism, providing plenty of job opportunities for locals, according to him.
"Furthermore, villagers in the surrounding villages will be benefited from the Home Stay Policy," said the chief minister.
The Aravalli mountain range is rich in bio-diversity and is home to many species of birds, wild animals and butterflies.
180 species of birds, 15 species of mammals, 29 species of aquatic animals and reptiles, and 57 species of butterflies were discovered in the Aravalli range, according to a statement from the Haryana government.
(With inputs from PTI)
