New anacondas in Thiruvananthapuram get Rs 2.18 crore enclosure

Thiruvananthapuram: Seven green anacondas which were brought from Dehiwala Zoo in Sri Lanka last April and Jack the King Cobra have got brand new enclosures at a whopping Rs 2.18 crore. Culture minister K. C. Joseph who inaugurated the new reptile enclosure announced that before the arrival of the prized seven green anacondas, the Zoo’s revenue was well below Rs 1 crore, and now it has skyrocketed to more than Rs 6 crore.

The reptiles were shifted from their old enclosure yesterday by 39-year-old snakekeeper A. S. Arshad who has been a daily wage labourer for the last 13 years. But unfortunately his efforts were ‘conveniently’ forgotten by Zoo officials today when he singlehandedly picked the reptiles for the new enclosures. Interestingly, Museum and Zoo minister P. K. Jayalakshmi stayed away from entering the new reptile enclosure because of herpetophobia, fear or aversion to reptiles.  

The work on the new enclosures done by Small Industries Development Corporation is in the eye of a storm due to the exorbitant rate quoted to complete them. “It has been constructed in such a way that visitors get a feel of seeing the reptiles in their natural habitat,” Zoo superintendent K. Sadasivan Pillai told DC that two enclosures had been set up for the seven green anacondas.

Meanwhile, Zoo veterinarian Dr. Jacob Alexander told DC that when the male anaconda, Dilsire was brought down from Sri Lanka last year, it had a length of 2.5 metre and weighed 12 kilos. But now it has grown to 11 feet and weighs 33 kilos.

“The smallest among the seven green anacondas was Ruth which weighed a mere kilo and has since grown to 10 kilos. By April 2016, the anacondas would be ready for mating”, said Mr. Alexander.

The new website of the Museum and Zoo was also launched today and has been designed by Keltron for '1.40 lakh. The City Zoo is soon expected to launch an advance ticket booking facility for visitors as well as a facilitation centre for them.