India’s First Night Safari

Why in News?

The Supreme Court has permitted the Uttar Pradesh government to proceed with the country’s first night safari and zoological park project at Kukrail Reserve Forest in Lucknow. The project is proposed to be India’s first urban night safari and the world’s fifth, after Singapore, Thailand, China and Indonesia.

The project has received approvals from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), subject to compliance with prescribed environmental safeguards.

What is a Night Safari?

A night safari is a wildlife tourism facility that allows visitors to observe animals during their night-time or nocturnal activity, unlike conventional zoos and safaris that primarily operate during the day.

The proposed Kukrail Night Safari will include night trails, forest trails and naturalistic animal habitats, providing visitors an opportunity to experience wildlife after sunset.

The Kukrail Night Safari?

The project is located in the Kukrail Reserve Forest in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The reserve forest was notified in 1950 and forms a major green cover of Lucknow.

It is named after the Kukrail stream, a tributary of the Gomti River. The forest is also significant for wildlife conservation as it houses the Kukrail Gharial Rehabilitation Centre, associated with India’s first gharial conservation centre established in 1975.

The proposed project will be developed within a portion of the reserve forest and is planned in two phases: Phase I - Night Safari and Eco-tourism Zone, followed by Phase II – Day Zoo.