The Lahore Zoo has been privatized, 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 the auction of zoo services, surpassing the reserve price of Rs 320 million by Rs 180 million.
The contract includes management of car parks on Mall Road and Lawrence Road, entry tickets for various attractions such as the aquarium, snake house, aviary and new virtual reality experiences.
The zoo entry ticket price is set at Rs 100, with separate charges for additional attractions such as the snake house (Rs 200), walk-in aviary (Rs 100) and holo-experience. zoo payment (Rs 300).
Project director Mudasir Hassan said he was satisfied with the outcome, attributing the success to the effective strategy implemented by the management committee of DG Wildlife and the zoo.
He further mentioned that additional auctions for electric swings, horse rides, bouncy castles and cafeteria services would generate additional revenue for the zoo.
The contractor will be responsible for maintaining machinery and property, as well as caring for the zoo’s birds, reptiles and fish. However, the zoo administration will continue to manage the care and feeding of the other animals.
The contractor will deploy its staff at ticket counters and parking areas, while zoo staff will handle other operational tasks.
The privatization follows a major overhaul project launched by the interim government in 2023.
The revamp, which cost Rs 183 crore, brought new animals, birds and reptiles to the zoo, with some international species still awaiting arrival. The project also included the installation of a holo-verse virtual reality facility, costing around Rs 20 million.
The privatization of the zoo is planned for a period of three years, with the company expected to take control during the first week of January 2025.
The contractor will see the contract amount increase by 10% in the second year.
The zoo is expected to attract about 2.8 million visitors per year, with the company required to pay the administration 10 percent of entry fees for visitors above that estimate.
Wildlife authorities have assured that privatization will not lead to an increase in general entry fees or parking charges, which remain at Rs 100 each. However, new services introduced as part of the overhaul will have separate fees.