Though state tourism minister Gautam Deb planned to release a pair of giraffe (camelopard) to attract more tourists in the North Bengal Wild Animal Park, popularly known as Bengal Safari in Siliguri, the Central Zoo Authority of India objected to the same, it is learnt.

Interacting with reporters at Gazoldoba near Siliguri recently, the minister said: “I wished to bring a pair of giraffe for the Bengal Safari, but I could not do so as the Zoo Authority of India is allowing us to keep only birds and animals that belong to the Himalayan range.”

“However, the number of tigers has increased to five now. Significantly, this place is ideal for captive breeding of tiger, according to experts. In future, this place may be important for such captive breeding,” Mr Deb said, adding, “We had brought three tigers here. They gave birth to three cubs. One cub died owing to some genetic problems.”

“Besides, there is a leopard, a Himalayan black beer and a rhino. One more rhino will join here. There is no plan to bring gaur (bison) here because of technical problems as the heart of this animal is weak,” Mr Deb added.

To add another attraction in the Bengal Safari, the department plans to set up an aquarium inside a 1.5 km tunnel. Rs 15 crore has been allotted to ready the project. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared to add more attractive things for tourists in Bengal Safari, according to him.

The minister also said that authorities have planned to develop a special zone for birds. “Bengal Safari has come up on 297 hectares of land, which is nearly 600 acres, in the cradle of the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. The most important thing is that biodiversity is being brought back and the forest has become denser after the setting up of Bengal Safari and its fencing,” Minister Deb said. He claimed that pollution in the river there, which had been contaminated with pesticides, has been checked now.

“Crime and destruction of forests has also come down. We are happy that we have been able to protect nature when that region was under destruction,” Mr Deb said.

“Experts say that the forest here will become denser in the coming five to seven years. Then we will have to fell trees for its maintenance. A group of research scholars are working on the project and they have readied their thesis. We have planned to publish a book jointly with the forest department, based on their research work on it,” the minister added.