CM to inaugurate Thrissur Zoological Park on Oct. 28

Thrissur

The Thrissur Zoological Park, located in the lush green forests of Puthur, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 4 p.m. on October 28. The function will be presided over by Forest and Wildlife Minister A. K. Saseendran.

Union Minister Suresh Gopi, Ministers R. Bindu, K.N. Balagopal, J. Chinchurani, Roshy Augustine, K. Krishnankutty, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, Kadannappally Ramachandran, and P.A. Mohamed Riyas, along with Thrissur Mayor M. K. Varghese, district panchayat president V. S. Prince, MPs, MLAs, former ministers, and leaders across political parties are expected to attend, said Revenue Minister K. Rajan.

Relocating the Thrissur Zoo from its cramped premises at Chembukkavu had been a decades-long demand. The proposal gained ground in 2006 during the V.S. Achuthanandan government, which initiated the Puthur project by constructing the boundary wall. Later, under the Oommen Chandy government, when K.B. Ganesh Kumar served as Forest Minister, the project was moved from the Zoo department to the Forest department for better implementation.

With the formation of the KIIFB under the first Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in 2016, the project finally took shape. Environmental clearance for the 338-acre forest site was secured in 2018, paving the way for full-scale construction.

Funded by ₹331 crore from the KIIFB and ₹40 crore from the Plan Fund, the park was developed rapidly. KIIFB later allocated an additional ₹17 crore.

Designed to meet world-class standards, Thrissur Zoological Park will include several innovative features such as a petting zoo and a hologram-based virtual zoo, developed under a public-private partnership. KSRTC mini-buses will operate inside the park, while double-decker buses will connect the city to Puthur.

All animals from the existing Chembukkavu Zoo will be relocated to Puthur by October 28, except for a few deer that will remain temporarily. A new deer safari park, not part of the original plan, is also under development to accommodate them. New animal species from other States and abroad will soon join the park’s collection.

After the inauguration, the park will operate a limited trial run for two months, allowing controlled visitor entry. It will be fully open to the public from January 2026.