Diving into nature and observing the blissful wildlife closely through a safari has its own thrill. Currently, Africa tops the list when it comes to raw and adventurous wildlife safaris. But now, the Maharashtra government is planning to give a similar experience to visitors in Nagpur.
According to a report in The Indian Express, tourists will soon be able to enjoy an African wildlife safari at the Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoo. It is one of the largest captive zoos in India and the new African safari will be an added attraction for all.
The project was announced by the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar. He said the state government has decided to take up the ambitious project and will bring wildlife from Africa. As shared by the Maharashtra government in budget 2022-2023, the cost of setting up the safari at the zoo will be Rs 100 crore.
Apart from this, the government is also planning to start a leopard safari in Pune. For this, it will make use of 90 hectares of forest area and has allocated Rs 60 crore for it. Moreover, a tiger safari and a wildlife rescue center will also be set up in the Chandrapur district.
The state government has also aimed to work on the conservation of biodiversity by establishing a Maharashtra Gene Bank Project. It will invest Rs 286 crore over the next five years in the project.
Located in Nagpur, the Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoo is spread over roughly 1,914 hectares of area. Currently, the zoo offers four types of safaris to its visitors. These include leopard safari, herbivorous safari, sloth bear safari and tiger safari. According to its website, it will soon start offering African safari and a night safari.
