Supreme Court of India granted final approval the Kukrail Night Safari and Day Zoo Project in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Supreme Court of India granted final approval the Kukrail Night Safari and Day Zoo Project in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

¨     Supreme Court of India granted final approval on 16 July 2026 for the Kukrail Night Safari and Day Zoo Project in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

¨     The project will become India’s first urban night safari and the world’s fifth such facility after Singapore, Thailand, China, and Indonesia.

¨     The project will be developed in the 2,027-hectare Kukrail Reserve Forest located in Lucknow district.

¨     The Kukrail Reserve Forest is an ecologically sensitive forest area.

¨     Around 855 acres have been allocated for the night safari and zoo complex.

¨     The estimated cost of the project is approximately ₹1,510 crore.

¨     The project received approvals from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and a conditional clearance from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) before the Supreme Court’s final approval.

¨     The first phase of the project is expected to include 38 wildlife enclosures.

¨     The proposed wildlife species include Asiatic lions, Bengal tigers, leopards, hyenas, flying squirrels, and gharials.

¨     The project design includes theme-based zones, naturalistic animal habitats, night trails, and forest trails.

¨     Visitors will travel through the safari area using battery-operated vehicles.

¨     The lighting system of the night safari is designed to create a moonlight-like natural experience for visitors.