4 months on, theatre at Punjab's Bir Talab zoo awaits opening

Built at a cost of nearly Rs 35 lakh, an air-conditioned 58-seater mini theatre at the Bir Talab zoo in Bathinda is yet to see the light of day. The reason: A VIP’s visit to inaugurate the facility is awaited.

The mini theatre has been constructed to screen short films aimed at educating visitors about nature and wildlife conservation.

The zoo currently houses two pairs of leopards with their two female cubs born recently, several blackbucks, deer, monkeys and bird species, including emus, parrots, peacocks, painted storks and black partridges. A deer safari is also there.

The zoo is currently awaiting approval from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to house two black bears. The infrastructure, including enclosures spread over 2,000 sq m, has been prepared.

Established in 1978 by the District Red Cross Society, the zoo was taken over by the Punjab Forest and Wildlife Preservation Department in 1982. Most of the beautification work, however, has been carried out since 2016.

Gurdeep Singh Sidhu, Forest Range Officer and zoo in-charge, said, “The mini theatre is ready, and we have conducted trial runs of short films as well. The payment of the contractor is awaited, and the mini theatre can be inaugurated anytime by a minister or any other dignitary.”