Sri Lanka’s second Zoological Gardens and the first Open Air Zoo will be opened today, government’s media reports said.

It is part of another stage of the program mooted throughout the island on behalf of the promotion of the tourism industry.

The Zoological Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports took the initiative of expediting the construction work of the Open Air Zoo in Pinnawala. It has come up in adjacent to the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala. The public will be given the opportunity of visiting this Zoo free of charge from today until the 01st of next month. It spans 44 acres.

 The Open Air Zoo has been mainly built on behalf of animals endemic to the country. Zoological Director Anura De Silva said that animals such as leopard, bears, deer, crocodiles, rabbits and pigs as well as birds will be conserved and an opportunity is afforded to observe their movements.

The Open Air Zoo has been built according to international standards. The total expenditure incurred on the construction was 800 million rupees. The Ministry of Tourism said that access buildings, car parks, access zones for visitors and public amenities have been established under the first stage.