LAHORE: The long-awaited aquarium will open at the Lahore Zoo in a fortnight with introduction of new animals and birds, officials from the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department told Dawn.

Under a development scheme, Revamping of Lahore Zoo, launched in 2023 with gestation period two years (July 2023 to June 2025) with total cost Rs1.83 billion, the department has purchased 19 species of animals through national bidding, including primates like Mona Monkey, Patas Monkey; ungulates like Sika Deer, Arabian Oryx, Addax, Sindh Ibex, Nyala, Gemsbok, Scimitar Oryx, Sable, Blesbok, Springbok and Chiltan Markhor. Whereas Smooth Coated Otters and Capuchin Monkey are in quarantine phase at their respective places and they will join the zoo soon.

The Lahore Zoo, from a contractor, has procured a vast variety of reptiles, including pythons (Reticulated Python, Burmises Python, Ball Python), iguanas ( Red Iguana, Blue Iguana , Yellow Iguana, Green Iguana) panther chameleons, dragons (Bearded Dragon, Sailfin Dragon), Leopard Geckos, Tarantula Spiders, Black Scorpions, Tortoises (Sri Lankan Star Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise) and Snake Head Turtle.

The zoo has also acquired a vast variety of birds such as variety of parakeets (Macaw, Cockatoo, Sun conure, Conures, Eclectus Parrot ), pheasants ( Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Lady Amherst Pheasant, Reeves Pheasant, Kalij Pheasant) Pure Green Java Peafowl, pigeons (Frill Back Pigeon, Nicobar Pigeon, Crown Pigeon) doves (Wood Dove, Crested Dove, Diamond Dove, Optical Dove, Spotted neck dove), finches ( Java Finches, Gouldian Finch, Strawberry Finch) Helmeted Curassow, Bare Faced Curassow and African crowned cranes.

The department intends to procure rhinoceros, hippopotamus, giraffe, rhea and puma through international bidding and work orders have already been awarded to different firms. Pakistan is in legal binding and signatory of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), the CITES permits are under process with the Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad. As and when, Ministry of Climate Change issues CITES import permits to the contractors, these animals may join the Lahore Zoo.

Aquariums, both marine and freshwater, are going to be established and the work on this facility is in process. After completion of work, the contractor will release a vast variety of marine and freshwater fish in these aquariums.

This facility will be functional in fortnight and will be open for the general public.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2025