Kerala CM Renews Push for Thiruvananthapuram Zoo Relocation as Protests Mount

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has once again made the case for shifting the animals of the Thiruvananthapuram zoo to a habitat better suited to their needs, arguing that confining them in the middle of a city amounts to cruelty.

Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister recalled that he had first put forward the relocation proposal at the 'Reimagining Keralam' roundtable conference. He said the land that would be freed up would be developed into a space the city could take pride in, and made clear that it was not for sale to anyone.

The proposal has drawn continuing opposition. On Wednesday evening, the Kerala NGO Union held a protest at the zoo, inaugurated by actor P. Sreekumar. Recalling his long association with the zoo and museum complex — from childhood visits to morning walks and film shoots — he described it as the green lung of the city. The 55-acre site, he said, holds invaluable flora and fauna and serves as a cultural hub and a gathering place for many residents, including the elderly and the infirm.

Mr. Sreekumar alleged that the relocation plan, coming soon after the UDF assumed power, was an attempt to make away with the resources of the site. He contended that fewer than 10% of current visitors would return if the zoo were moved elsewhere, and urged city residents to pledge to protect it in its present location.

Former Mayor V.K. Prasanth said the 167-year-old zoo, established in 1859, is an integral part of the city's culture and heritage. He said there was no objection to creating facilities such as a Madison Square-style space, a commercial complex or a mall, provided they came up on land available for such purposes. He also pointed to what he described as a shift in the government's position, noting that a proposal the Chief Minister had called a 'dream' was described as a decision by the Health Minister only a couple of days later.

Mr. Prasanth said around 14 lakh people visit the zoo each year, largely because of its easy access for those coming to the city for various needs. He described the complex as a rare space globally that houses not only a zoo but also museums and art galleries, and asserted that no one would be allowed to disrupt it. Opposition, he added, is not to building a zoo elsewhere in the district or to the development that would follow — the demand is that the existing zoo be left untouched.

Zoo employees also took part in the protest.