LUCKNOW: Etawah lion safari authorities have sent a proposal to the
Uttar Pradesh government seeking Rs 4.9 crore to build a leopard rescue centre, a first in the state. The
Central Zoo Authority (CZA) had approved the design of the centre in September this year.
For the past several years, the state government has been planning to build a rescue centre for leopards. It was first planned at Kukrail and then at Lucknow zoo.
The design that has been approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) would have the rescue centre laid out in 'V’ shape with two round-shaped enclosures, one at each end of the V-shaped structure, with a total capacity of housing 40 leopards at a time.
Each of the enclosure would house at least 20 leopards. While the felines would be kept in the enclosures, the V-shape area of the centre would make it easy for the managers to monitor and treat the rescued leopards.
Leopards treated at the centre would be released in the wild except for the ones that are injured, old or incapable of hunting.