Etawah Lion Safari to open without Lion segment for public on November 24

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Former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav's dream project -- Etawah Lion Safari -- will finally be opened for public on November 24. However, the lion segment will not be opened for public as it does not meet the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) norms yet.

Forest Minister Dara Singh Chauhan and MP Etawah and Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Ram Shankar Katheria will inaugurate the safari on Sunday.

The deer, antelope and bear safaris would be opened for public but the lion safari, which is USP of the park, will be opened only after meeting the required CZA norms of having 10 cubs. The Safari presently has only six cubs," said a forest official.

The Etawah Lion Safari is the first in the country to have a lion breeding centre set up with an aim to develop a research facility on Asiatic lions, said the forest official.

Spread over 350 hectares of land, the safari is being developed as an educative tourist destination for children as well as youths. The park has multiple safaris -- antelope safari having 65 deer and six swamp deer, and bear safari consisting of three female bears.

The Etawah Lion Safari was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on June 1, 2018 but was closed for public. The Etawah safari park is categorised as multiple safaris, Asiatic Lion Breeding Centre & Visitor Facilitation Centre.

The work on the safari started in 2005, but work began in right earnest in May 2013 after environmental clearances were obtained. The park is located at a driving distance of 2 hours from Agra and 5 hours from New Delhi.

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