Haryana to build the largest safari outside Africa on more than 10,000 acres

Haryana will develop the largest jungle safari park outside Africa, the state government said on Thursday.

The 10,000-acre curated safari park will come up in the Aravalli range and cover parts of Gurugram and Nuh districts. “This project will be the largest such project in the world,” the government statement claimed.

At present, Sharjah is home to the largest curated safari park outside Africa. Opened in February 2022, the Sharjah Safari covers an area of about 2,000 acres. “The proposed Aravalli park would be five times more.

This size and it would include a large herpetarium (a zoological exhibition space for reptiles and amphibians), aviary/bird park, four zones for big cats, a large area for herbivores, an area for exotic animal birds, an underwater world, nature trails, visitors, tourism zones, botanical gardens, biomes, equatorial, tropical, coastal, desert, etc,” the government claimed in the statement.

Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited Sharjah Safari in this regard, the state government said. Khattar reached Dubai on a day’s visit on Wednesday. Upon his return on Thursday, Khattar said the NCR region of Haryana had immense potential for the development of a jungle safari.

The Jungle safari scheme will not only boost tourism but also provide employment opportunities to local residents, he said. “The Jungle safari project of Haryana would be a joint project of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Haryana government. Under the scheme, the central government will also provide funds to Haryana for the project,” said Khattar.

A global Expression of Interest was floated for the project and two companies with international experience in designing and operating such facilities have been shortlisted, the chief minister added. “The companies will now compete in an international design competition for the designing, overseeing and operating of the park. An Aravalli Foundation will be set up to manage the project,” said Khattar.

The chief minister added that the Central Zoo Authority had done an evaluation study of the area and agreed on the technical feasibility of setting up such a park. On one hand, developing a jungle safari will help preserve the Aravalli mountain range while a large number of people from Delhi and adjoining areas will come for tourism, creating ample employment opportunities for local residents, he said.

“Furthermore, villagers in the surrounding villages will be benefited from the Home Stay Policy,” said the chief minister. The Aravalli mountain range is home to many species of birds, wild animals and butterflies.

According to the Haryana government statement, as per a survey conducted a few years ago, 180 species of birds, 15 species of mammals, 29 species of aquatic animals and reptiles and 57 species of butterflies were found in the Aravalli range.