KARACHI, April 26: Arrangements for new entertainment means, including log slide and wheeler train, for the Zoological Garden and Safari Park have been finalized with an aim of making these places more attractive for the visitors.

The two sites are among a few places offering education-related entertainment in a family-friendly environment to the fun-starved citizens of the metropolis.

Up to 3.5 million people visit the Zoo and about one million opt for Safari Park every year. A heavy rush both the sites is expected in the coming months as students are to avail summer vacations.

Due to the fixed days for family visits to the Zoological Garden, most of the families throng the site for a respite at the well-maintained lawns there.

Unfortunately, files of nine entertainment projects that could also give a boost to revenue generation have been changing hands while moving from one department to the other and from one table to the next over the last six years. These projects include wheeler train, chair lift, log slide, AC coaches, etc. However, the projects of wheeler train for the two sites and and log slide for Safari Park are likely to be materialized in near future.

The Nazim of Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, has been expressing his keen interest in providing and developing sites of family entertainment based on local culture. In his visit to the Zoological Garden soon after assuming his office, he directed the officials to bring about improvement in facilities.

The Zoo has a section exclusively for amusement besides a museum. There are 860 animals of different species which have equal attraction for men, women and children especially animal lovers.

With rose garden having about 2,000 beautiful plants and a large number of seasonal flowers plants elsewhere in different gardens, wheeler train and log slide would not only add to the attraction but also give the Zoo a modern look.

The wheeler train at the Zoo will set off and return at the gate No. 2 after travelling across almost the entire area of the Zoological Garden.

Qazi Sadaruddin, Chairman of City Council Committee, while commenting on the delay in the implementation of the scheme indicated that investors had some reservations over an increase of 15 per cent in charges levied by the city government. However, he said, the issue would be settled in a meeting with the city Nazim.

Pony ride is yet another attraction under consideration of the zoo authorities.

Log slide will add to major attractions in Safari Park where birth of exotic and local animal species had raised their total number to 480 from 110 since 1996. Some of the recent births are of gazelle (2), spotted deer (5), black buck (5) and mouflon (7).

The city government would have to make serious efforts with regard to the project of chairlift which has failed to attract any investor as yet.

Qazi Sadaruddin was of the view that the project required an investment of more than Rs120 million and such a big investors might only come from a Gulf country. He also indicated that chairlifts of some old model could be brought to Karachi as the new models with latest technology would not be feasible.—PPI