The Union Territory administration in Jammu and Kashmir Monday added another tourist ‘hot spot’ in the  long list of local getaways by throwing open Jambu Zoo at Nagrota.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the phase -1 of Jambu zoo built at a cost of around Rs 70 crores over 70 hectares of land.

The foundation stone of the project was originally laid in September 2016 by the then  Forest Minister Lal Singh.

The ambitious project, aimed at attracting the rush of Mata Vaishno Devi bound pilgrims, had earlier missed several deadlines due to paucity of funds. Speaking on the occasion Lt Governor Manoj Sinha  said, “the scenic beauty around the first-of-its-kind full-fledged zoo in the UT will make it a unique tourist destination and has the potential to boost tourism in the region”.

“This much awaited addition to the tourist destinations of J&K  was taken up under the Languishing Project”, he added.

Referring to the successful conduct of  G20 Summit, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said , “Jammu Kashmir has entered a new era of opportunities.

It is a rare moment and the world is applauding J&K’s saga of development. We must work together to keep pace with the rest of the states and contribute to the significant task of Viksit Bharat 2047”.

The Lt Governor announced free entry for all in the Jambu Zoo for one month. He also announced that the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams will be dedicated to the people on 8th June.

 To woo the visitors, as many as 27 famous species of animals, including Royal Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, leopards, bears, crocodiles etc will be shifted from different places to Jambu zoo. An amphitheatre and park for children has also been  constructed.

Visitors can also avail the facility of battery-operated vehicles to move around inside the zoo.