Daily Times

The Lahore Zoo has been privatised, with a contract awarded to a private company for Rs 500 million, covering parking, entry tickets, and various other services.

The Punjab Wildlife Department achieved significant success in auctioning the zoo’s services, surpassing the reserve price of Rs 320 million by Rs 180 million.

The contract includes managing parking facilities on Mall Road and Lawrence Road, entry tickets for various attractions such as the aquarium, snake house, aviary, and the new virtual reality experiences.

The zoo’s entry ticket price is set at Rs 100, with separate charges for additional attractions such as the snake house (Rs 200), walk-through aviary (Rs 100), and the zoo’s holo-verse experience (Rs 300).

Director of the project, Mudasir Hassan, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, crediting the success to the effective strategy implemented by the DG Wildlife and zoo management committee.

He further mentioned that additional auctions for electric swings, horse rides, jumping castles, and cafeteria services would generate further revenue for the zoo. The contractor will be responsible for maintaining machinery and property, as well as taking care of the birds, reptiles, and fish at the zoo. However, the zoo administration will continue to manage the care and feeding of the other animals.

The contractor will deploy its staff for ticket counters and parking areas, while zoo staff will handle other operational tasks.

The privatisation comes after a major revamping project initiated by the caretaker government in 2023.

The revamp, which cost Rs 183 crore, has brought new animals, birds, and reptiles to the zoo, with some international species still pending arrival. The project also included the installation of a holo-verse virtual reality facility, costing approximately Rs 20 million.

The zoo’s privatization is set for a three-year term, with the company expected to take charge in the first week of January 2025.

The contractor will see a 10% increase in the contract amount in the second year.

The zoo is expected to attract around 2.8 million visitors annually, with the company required to pay the administration 10% of the entry fee for visitors beyond that estimate. Wildlife authorities have assured that the privatization will not lead to a rise in general entry fees or parking charges, which remain at Rs 100 each. However, new services introduced as part of the revamp will have separate charges.