K Ramesh didn’t take his eyes off the marsh crocodiles, even for a second. It was his first time at their enclosure, and he was replacing the water in the shallow pools in which the animals wallowed. “I was really nervous,” says the 51-year-old, recalling the experience. He has been working at the Coimbatore Corporation’s VOC Park Zoo for 25 years and remembers this first encounter like it was yesterday. “But nothing untoward happened,” he smiles, adding: “In fact, I have never had bad experiences with the animals I took care of all these years.” Ramesh knows his days at the zoo are numbered: it is set to be shut down, with the animals being shifted to similar facilities in the State.
Coimbatore zoo has been closed since the pandemic lockdowns in 2021. “Our license from the Central Zoo Authority of India has been cancelled due to lack of sufficient space for the animals,” says Dr S Saravanan, the Zoo Director. “As per the order of the Corporation Commissioner, we are preparing to relocate the animals to zoos in Salem, Vandalur, and the crocodile park at Udumalpet,” he says, adding that following the move, the zoo will be replaced by a bird park. “Discussions are on with the Conservator of Forests and the move will happen soon,” says Saravanan.
