Solar lights for the safety of wild animals at Deer Park

Sambhalpur: In a effort to ensure safety of birds and animals, the Wild Animals Conservation Centre, which is popularly known as Deer Park in Sambhalpur, will now have solar lights.

Thirty four solar lights have been installed in the Wild Animal Conservation Centre in Sambalpur, which has attained the status of a small zoo. Installation of each light cost around Rs 25,000.

“The solar lights are attached with sensor. Because of the sensor, the 25 watt LED bulbs connected to the solar panel automatically illuminate while sun sets and turn off when sun rises. A Bhubaneswar based agency has installed the solar lights. The agency has also been entrusted with the responsibility of maintenance of the lights for one year,” range officer of the Wild Animal Conservation Centre, Madan Lal Sharma, said.

“The objective behind installation of the solar light is to ensure safety of the birds and animals and to reduce consumption of electricity. We removed several electric wires from the zoo after the installation of the solar lights. Only, the official buildings, which are inside the Wild Animal Conservation Centre, are connected with electricity,” Sharma said.

Apart from the solar lights, several other Apart from the solar lights, several other developmental works have also been undertaken in the Wild Animal Conservation Centre, which has 23 enclosures for the birds and animals. Around Rs 10 lakh have been spent for the development pavement.

Moreover, cemented base have been developed for the enclosures. The wild animal conservation centre, which is located in the heart of the Sambalpur city and spread across 13.16 hectar area, was established in 1980.

The small zoo here is house to around 246 number of birds and animals of 22 species. Wildlife including spotted deer, four horned antelope, barking deer, sloth bear, wild boar, monkey, civet cat, python, peacock, parakeet, moorhen, duck, spotted dove and a number of exotic birds are there in the zoo.

The animals, birds and the beautiful surrounding always attract thousands of visitors. More than one lakh visitors had visited the zoo last year. “The installation of the solar lights is praise worthy step. It is an effort to provide safe lighting facilities in the zoo area.

Solar powered lights help avoid short circuits. Moreover, solar energy is eco- friendly. It also solve the problem of frequent blackouts,” said a visitor, Nirupama Pradhan.