Thiruvananthapuram Zoo Relocation Plan Sparks Debate Between Past and Present Mayors

A proposal to shift the Thiruvananthapuram zoo out of the city has triggered a public debate, with the former Mayor, V.K. Prasanth, opposing the idea and the current Mayor, V.V. Rajesh, supporting a positive discussion on the matter.

Mr. Rajesh, of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said the relocation needed to be considered seriously. He pointed to the deaths of many animals as temperatures rose due to climate change, and noted that some species that were once part of the zoo are no longer present, leaving visitors disappointed. Experts have also observed that the zoo, in its current location, struggles to manage waste, heat and noise pollution. Moving it to a larger site away from the city, better suited to the animals' ecosystem and built to international standards, could help save their lives and allow rare species to be brought in and protected, he argued. He added that Thiruvananthapuram now attracts far more international attention than when the zoo was established, and said the government would have to decide on a location for a new facility.

Mr. Prasanth, of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), alleged that commercial interests were behind the move. He said the zoo is a green lung on which many people depend, and suspected the objective was to hand over the land to businessmen. Describing the zoo as the city's pride, he said residents and people of Kerala would reject any plan to turn it into something resembling Madison Square. He called the proposal part of an agenda to destroy the city.

In a social media post, Mr. Prasanth noted that the facility is rare in combining a zoo and a museum, with the zoo spread over 36 acres and the garden over 19 acres, compared with Madison Square's six acres. He said the 167-year-old zoo is part of the city's heritage, attracts 12 lakh visitors and generates an income of ₹8 crore. Located in the heart of the city, it remains accessible to ordinary people, including children, at low cost, he said, adding that shifting it to Neyyar or Palode would make it hard for the public to reach due to transport difficulties.

Wildlife biologist and conservationist P.S. Easa said the Chief Minister had only initiated a discussion and not imposed any decision. He said the proposal should be viewed from a conservation perspective rather than only recreation, noting that conservation breeding of endangered species to increase their numbers and release them into the wild is among the objectives of zoos. He also raised the question of where the zoo should be shifted, and said discussions should consider whether it should be near forests given the possibility of zoonotic diseases spreading. Zoos, he added, can play a valuable role in creating awareness about the conservation of animals and habitats. He pointed to examples of zoos located away from cities that continue to attract visitors, and said models such as the Singapore Zoo could be examined when deciding how zoos should be designed.