Night safari park to be created near Indian capital

Photo: Night safari park to be created near Indian capital

Night safari park to be created near Indian capital

Authorities in the Greater Noida suburb of New Delhi have allotted 162 hectares (400 acres) of land to create a simulated natural habitat for at least 700 animals from 75 species, the Hindustan Times reported, citing officials.

There are also plans include motels, food courts, shops and restaurants, the paper said.

Bernard Harrison, a renowned zoo specialist and a former director of Singapore's famed night safari park, has been roped in to oversee the rupees 4 billion (US$90 million; Ђ75 million) project, which is expected to be completed over the next few years, the AP reports.

The site allotted for the park is near a 202 hectare (500 acre) reserved forest in Murshidpur village, around 30 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of New Delhi.

Visitors would travel through the park in noiseless, battery-operated buses, allowing them to see the animals in their natural habitat.

With the increasing affluence of India's middle classes, the demand for nighttime entertainment has soared. Tourism authorities hope attractions such as the safari park would add to New Delhi's sparse nightlife, the daily said.