LUCKNOW: Many carnivores, including big cats, are nocturnal. Others are crepuscular, being active in the twilight.Seeing them at night, or during dusk and dawn, in moonlight, or light as dim as that, will be a never-before experience for people who will visit Kukrail night safari.The Supreme Court’s green signal for the project has got things rolling for the country’s first, and the world’s fifth and the biggest, night safari in Kukrail reserve forest of Lucknow.The forest department will soon issue a letter to the public works department (PWD) informing it that the project has got clearance from the Supreme Court, and that the contractor may begin construction at the site.The project is inspired from Mandai night safari in Singapore. The professionals associated with the Singapore project are also on board for Kukrail night safari. “But ours is the biggest in the world,” said additional principal chief conservator of forest (project), Ramkumar.While Singapore Safari spans around 86 acre, Kukrail Safari will sprawl over 494 acres of land.The construction of the night safari at Kukrail will begin with the first phase of the project.The second phase will involve setting up a day zoo at the site. The project has got clearance for both the phases and the detailed project report (DPR) for both the components is ready.However, as of now, the tender has been awarded only for the construction of the night safari.While night safari will have animals which are active during night or twilight period, day zoo will have animals that are diurnal in nature.However, the central empowered committee has said that it is up to the state govt to set up a day zoo or not, because Lucknow already has one, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah zoological garden, which will not be shifted out of its current location.The completion of night safari will take at least two years, after which it will be opened to the public. The ticket prices and timings will be decided once the project is ready.It will have 42 enclosures, each having a modern design approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).The safari will house 54 species of animals. Including the day zoo, the project will have 63 enclosures and 115 species of animals. The entire project will be solar powered.The visitors will get more than 12 kms of footpath to walk around the safari area. There will also be a 5.5km long tram to take visitors on a 40-minute guided tour of the safari.The place will also have a 7D theatre, open theatre, interpretation centre, super-specialty veterinary hospital, rescue centre, cafeteria and basic amenities for visitors.
Other Safaris
The Kukrail reserve forest spans over 5,000 hectares. The night safari and day zoo will claim 855.07 acres in the north of it. The night safari alone will be on 493.7 acre, with 199.4 acre set aside for day zoo.More than 71% of the total area of the project, which is 610.3 acres, will be developed as a green zone.The project will also require felling of over 4,800 trees, but as the central empowered committee has recommended, most of the species will be translocated, or planted at alternate sites, which may be within the project area.However, translocation may not be possible in case with the most dominant vegetation at the site, which is Prosopis (vilayati babool). Massive plantation will be done to turn the area into a green zone.The state govt has sanctioned Rs 631 crore for the project in previous budgets, with Rs 206 crore already released.The night safari will come up about 2km away from the picnic spot and gharial rehabilitation centre at Kukrail.The project initially had five components. While shifting of the Lucknow Zoo from its present location to Kukrail was one, building a four-lane road in front of the safari was another.Constructing a night safari, a day zoo and an ecotourism zone were the other three. The final project has only two components, construction of night safari and a day zoo.
History and Background
The Supreme Court took up the matter related to the Kukrail night safari project on August 29, 2025, after which the court referred it to the central empowered committee which gave its recommendations on November 27, 2025.
Timeline of the project
The committee suggested that the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden, or Lucknow Zoo, should not be shifted from its present location, citing its environmental significance and strategic location.The committee also recommended against the construction of a four-lane road in front of the safari, “to save 846 trees from being cut at the site”.The CEC also did not approve of the ecotourism zone, proposed over 162 acres, in the reserve forest area.The SC granted permission to the project based on the recommendations of the committee. As a result, the project initially had five main components but now has only two.
