LAHORE: The hologram zoo, a unique facility not available anywhere else in Pakistan, is going to be opened at the Lahore Zoo for visitors in a month’s time.

Sources in the Punjab wildlife department told Dawn the opening of the hologram zoo was delayed due to some technical flaws in the installation whereas payment of Rs160m has already been made to a private company which has installed the facility.

It is more surprising that the total cost of the project was Rs200m out of which reportedly Rs160m have already been paid. The issue is that the hologram zoo is still not functional though the wildlife department or the zoo management are claiming that it will be functional within a month’s time.

A senior official of the Punjab Wildlife Department, wishing anonymity, told Dawn that hologram zoo did not fulfill the requirement of such a zoo and it could not be technically called a hologram zoo. Another issue is that there might be a ticket of Rs1,000 on the hologram zoo since it has three separate components – virtual reality, mixed reality and hologram zoo itself and ticket rate might cause a hue and cry. Similarly, the snake house, which is not yet open, might have a separate ticket.

Holographic technology creates three-dimensional images, known as holograms, by recording light patterns and displaying them in a way that appears three-dimensional (3D). The themes which would be introduced through this zoo include Jungle Story, Water Life, Life in a Desert, National Animals of Pakistan and Jurassic World.

According to a tech website, TechTarget, “virtual reality or VR is a stimulated 3D environment that lets users explore and interact with a virtual surrounding in a way that approximates reality as it is perceived through the user’s senses. The environment is created with computer hardware and software, although users might also need to wear devices such as goggles, headsets or bodysuits to interact with the environment.”

Mixed Reality is an advanced form of immersive technology It blends real-world and virtual elements, allowing for interactions with and manipulation of both environments. Its themes include Panda, Dinosaur, Elephant, Lions, Monkey and Polar Bear.

The Lahore Zoo was started in the 1860s in the form of a menagerie and was properly established as a zoo with addition of an aviary donated by Lala Mela Ram in 1872, hence one of the oldest zoos in the world. Gradually, it developed and its animal collection also increased. Today, the zoo houses about 1,183 animals of 107 species.

Zoo Deputy Director Kiran said a sum of Rs160m had been paid to the party ‘for the hardware and not for the content’. She said the company was working to make the hologram zoo functional and bring to it a real hologram zoo look. “The process might take a month or more,” she added.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2024