Bhubaneswar: The Sambalpur Zoo and Conservation Centre is set for a major upgrade after a Central Zoo Authority (CZA) evaluation committee recently recommended its expansion from a small zoo to a medium zoo with an additional 22 hectares of land.The zoo, located in Motijharan reserve forest, popularly known as Brooks Hill, currently spreads over 13.58 hectares. The proposed expansion area also falls within the reserve forest and will require removal of existing encroachments before development can begin.The recommendation follows a recent visit by the CZA evaluation committee, which reviewed the zoo’s infrastructure, animal enclosures and future development plans. Besides supporting the expansion, the committee also suggested translocation of surplus sambar deer from the zoo to reduce overcrowding in the enclosure.Zoo officials said at present, the zoo houses 17 animal species, including blackbuck, leopard and chowsingha. Authorities are also planning to strengthen visitor and conservation facilities with the addition of a new nocturnal house and an orchidarium.The zoo has witnessed a sharp rise in popularity in recent years. During 2024-25, it recorded a footfall of around 2.5 lakh visitors, nearly one lakh more than the previous year. Visitors include students and tourists from different parts of Odisha as well as neighbouring Chhattisgarh districts such as Raipur and Raigarh, and even Jharkhand.Originally functioning as a deer park, the facility was declared the Sambalpur Zoo and Conservation Centre by the CZA in 2023. New visitor amenities added this year include a restaurant and a 100-seater visitors’ lounge. Meanwhile, construction of dedicated enclosures for tiger, mugger crocodile and gharial is nearing completion. The facilities are expected to house new animals as soon as they arrive.The zoo currently has around 60 sambar deer, of which nearly 40 are proposed to be shifted to Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary to ease congestion. DFO, Hirakud wildlife division, Anshu Pragyan Das has written to PCCF (Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha seeking approval for the relocation. “We will try to implement some recommendations of the evaluation committee, including decongesting the sambar enclosure,” Jha said.
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