Sad news for fans of Dusit Zoo. The Zoological Park Organisation will not delay its closure further and will shut the country's first and most popular zoo by the end of this month.
Over 1,200 animals will be gradually moved out of the zoo after it is officially closed on Sept 30. Many keepers will also move in order to be with the animals at their new homes.
"Animal relocation efforts will start the day after the zoo is officially closed on Sept 30. But it doesn't mean that we will move them out that day.
"We will ensure the animals' welfare each step of the way, and we expect to have all of the animals relocated by the end of the year," said Benjapol Nakprasert, director of the Zoological Park Organisation at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The organisation said the relocation of the animals out of Dusit Zoo will take three months to complete.
They will be temporarily placed in seven public zoos across the country until construction of the new zoo in Pathum Thani province is complete, where the organisation intends to eventually house all of Dusit Zoo's animals.
His Majesty the King allotted 300 rai in Klong Hok of Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district to build the new zoo.
The organisation has formed two panels to work on animal relocation and constructing the new park, estimated to take over two years to complete and three times larger than Dusit.
One of the zoo's "Super Stars", hippopotamus "Mae Mali" who has been a resident at Dusit Zoo for more for than 50 years, will soon be moved to Khao Khiew Zoo in Chon Buri province.
Two elephants will be relocated to an elephant park in Surin province, and most of the birds will move to the Ubon Ratchathani Zoo.
At this stage, Mr Benjapol said the committees are examining the landscape of the new plots, as they are in a low-lying area that is vulnerable to flooding.
They will need to develop proper irrigation to manage the land, he said.
