The state's first "wildlife safari" will start at Rajgir in Nalanda district, around 110 km southeast of Patna, in about two-and-a-half-years.

Safari, here, means that the animals will not be in cages like they are in zoos but will be free to roam over a forest area and visitors will be allowed to watch them from secured, environment-friendly vehicles.

The state environment and forest department has started the process for putting in place the infrastructure for the 191-hectare facility.

"We have already completed the technical bid for the safari in which three eligible firms, which have past experience of executing such projects, qualified," D.K. Shukla, state principal chief conservator of forest, told The Telegraph. "Now financial bidding would be carried out and selection of agency for executing the project is likely to be completed by April-end."

The execution is likely take around 30 months at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crore, he added.

The Rajgir wildlife safari would be carved out of the existing forest area and would be divided into five broad zones - one each for lions, tigers, leopards, bears and herbivores - plus an aviary zone for birds. The plan also talks of setting up a small butterfly park and a sky zone for a bird's eye view of the safari.

The master plan for developing the safari has already been approved by the central zoo authority, said an official who is closely associated with the safari project, and approvals from the national board of wildlife and state wildlife board too had been procured in advance.

Some of the features of the safari would be provisions for isolation fence for keeping the fawns, cubs and sick wild animals safely, a feeding shed for herbivores, and feeding cells for carnivores. Special fences would be put up to rule out any possibility of the safari animals escaping to the adjoining forest areas.

Ponds would also be developed in the safari area for the animals to drink from.

For visitors, there would be an interpretation centre, an orientation centre and an open restaurant. The department would also provide solar-powered armoured buses to take the visitors inside the safari area.

"We are not making lodging provisions for the safari visitors because Rajgir happens to be a tourist place and there are hotels available there," said the official.

The department has also worked out a detailed plan about sourcing the animals which would be kept here but officials didn't share the details claiming that some official formalities had not yet been completed.

"We are in touch with some zoos of other states for a few animals whereas some animals of Patna zoo too could be relocated to the safari," said the official.