ZPO touts 1,000 animal occupants
PUBLISHED : 27 Aug 2023 at 04:00
Pathum Thani: The new zoo in Thanyaburi district will have its soft launch by early 2026, says the Zoological Park Organization (ZPO).
Dubbed the country’s first-ever green zoo, the ZPO predicts the zoo will receive over 1.2 million visitors a year, said ZPO director Attapon Srihayrun.
Speaking during a site visit, marking the opening of its entrance zone as a mini zoo, Mr Attapon said workers are clearing the land surface and preparing the land for basic infrastructure, including a water drainage system.
The zoo is on a 300-rai site of royally donated land in the Rangsit Khlong Hok area, north of Bangkok.
The zoo will be three times larger than the now-defunct Dusit Zoo, which closed in 2018 after 80 years. The government has allocated 5.3 billion baht for the project’s first phase.
He said the first phase will feature a variety of native animals from Africa and Asia such as elephants, tigers, giraffes and Komodo dragons. The country also will have its first Okapis, which look like a cross between a deer and a zebra, he said.
It will also include a 30-rai public park and 2,288m² building to commemorate HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great and HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, as well as an exhibition of previous kings in the Ratanakosin era.
“We expect to welcome visitors within the next three years. The facility will be the country’s first-ever green zoo. We will not allow plastic inside. All organic waste will be turned into fertiliser.
“The zoo will be powered by renewable energy and we’ll have a water-recycling system. All trees will go towards carbon credits,” he said.
The second and final phase with a 4.3-billion-baht investment will be completed in 2028. It will have two more zones for animals from Australia and South America.
He said there will be around 100 species of both domestic and imported animals in total, or about 1,000 animals.
He said the idea is not to pack in a large number of animals, but build them a home with plenty of trees to make the occupants feel like they are living in their habitat.
Around 70% of the land, or 240 rai, is dedicated to an animal living zone comprising a territories zone (47%), in which a variety of animal species will live “virtually” in the same place, a bio-park zone (23%) and enclosures, and cages (7%). A pond will sit at the heart of the zoo linking all spots together under the theme of wetland revival.
The ZPO is also considering whether to have a pair of pandas at the zoo.
He said the zoo will also be a landmark for learning about wildlife for locals and foreign visitors. The ZPO expects about 1.2 million visitors are likely to visit each year, generating income of over 500 million baht per year. The ZPO expects the zoo to break even within 30 years.