Andhra Pradesh Assembly is moving to upgrade Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) to meet international standards,looking to Singapore's Mandai Zoo for inspiration . During a recent inspection,Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu stressed the need for steady government funding to boost the zoo's development and keep it sustainable.
Patrudu,who leads the Legislative Assembly Committee on Wildlife and Environment Protection,said the zoo must be prioritized in annual budgets. "Without priority,the situation lacks clear direction," he said after a presentation by IGZP curator G. Mangamma that highlighted the zoo’s strengths and urgent issues.
Founded in 1972 and opened five years later, IGZP covers 625 acres, housing 1,404 animals across 108 species. Mangamma noted zoo coordinates the Asiatic wild dog breeding program and successfully exchanged animals with four other zoos in fiscal year 2025-26. But staffing is a problem — only 22 of 81 positions filled, leaving a single vet for whole collection .
To close the financial gap between the zoo's income and costs, Patrudu suggested funding from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for maintenance. He also proposed local factories contribute ₹2-3 crore annually via Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Speaker pointed out poor facilities for 4,000 daily visitors, lacking toilets and drinking water. He urged the zoo to budget for water tanks,stating,"We will not leave this issue until it is resolved."
The committee discussed proposals like an overbridge to connect the zoo with Kambalakonda Eco Park,a new reptile house,and a neonatal unit at the zoo hospital. They also considered adding species like jaguars,pumas,chimpanzees,hoolock gibbons,and orangutans.
After planting saplings, committee members toured Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary and its rescue center, laying a foundation stone for a new watchtower and pagoda. In a later meeting with officials from Forest Department,Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA),and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC),Patrudu estimated the zoo needs at least ₹10 crore annually to run effectively.
He announced a committee would draft a special action plan for wildlife, forest,and environmental protection, possibly including legal reforms. Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore said ₹3 crore could be obtained through CSR. MLC Palavalasa Vikranth mentioned VMRDA study on the Mandai model should finish by end of August. The committee later briefed media on collaborative efforts to boost the zoo's facilities and conservation projects.
