Lions, peacock and deer at Nandankanan in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, June 24: The lion safari at the Nandankanan zoological park today reopened with a new operator employing three new buses to ferry visitors.

A safari tour costs Rs 30 but as a bonus this includes a trip through the adjoining white tiger safari. The visitors can also watch peacocks and deer inside the safari.

After expiry of contract of the former safari contractor in March, the new contract took a long time. However, according to zoo authorities, the procedures adopted by the forest department took time. After thorough scrutiny, a local entrepreneur of Raghunathpur village near the zoo was awarded the contract for around Rs 60 lakh.

“We got a local youth involved with other services in the zoo. He had also invested on the three new buses which were put to ferry visitors from the central part of the zoo to the safari and vice-versa,” said assistant conservator of forests Kamal Lochan Purohit. He said: “Since expiry of the old contract, the forest department has been managing the show with limited vehicles.”

“There are 16 lions in the zoo. However, according to safari management norms, we allow only three lions to roam around inside at a time. Moreover, there are feeding chambers near the gate where the lions are provided with meat. The roaming lions return to the enclosures in the evening to take food. We make them follow a practice as there is no formulae to offer food in the open. Moreover, to monitor health standards of the animal we have to watch them from near so that the zoo veterinarian can inspect and administer medicines if needed,” said the senior zoo official.

Zoo veterinary officer Sarat Sahu said: “Restricted roaming for lions inside the safari is also practised apart from feeding the animals and monitoring their healthcare needs. Issues like injuries due to infighting and monitoring of pregnant lions also require their return to the feeding chambers near the gate.”

Of the 16 lions, while some are seen in the enclosures for general visitors, others are placed near the safari gate in the feeding chambers. Three lions in a batch can roam inside and others’ chance comes through a rotation.

Gangadhar Rout, who was awarded the contract to provide logistics for visitors for the lion safari, said: “Apart from the safari service, I have also been looking after the boating and toy train services since 2007 and 2008, respectively. We are planning to introduce battery-operated pollution free vehicles, so that elderly, physically challenged and kids can safely visit the animal enclosures. As the vehicles do not produce noise, they will be of much help in giving zoo a new dimension.”

While three battery-operated vehicles would be purchased in the first phase, in the second phase, another three would be added.

A visitor from Delhi, Rajiv Agarwal, who was in Nandankanan today with his wife and son, said: “We have been told that the zoo has the biggest lion safari in the country. However, we had thought that the ambience would be like that of an African safari. Yet, the zoo is nice with its natural surroundings.”

The lion safari was inaugurated in 1984 and was built with an investment of Rs 27 lakh.