Kukrail Night Safari and Day Zoo

The Kukrail Night Safari and Day Zoo is planned on the edge of the Kukrail forest in Lucknow. The Master Plan and the detailed project report were prepared by a consortium of ARCH-EN DESIGN, Egis India Consulting Engineers and Bernard Harrison & Friends, Singapore. The project is being taken forward by the Public Works Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, in EPC mode.

Two parks, one entrance

Visitors arrive at a single gateway of stone and carved timber, and walk into a circular plaza around a stone tower and fountain. Low buildings with leaf-shaped roofs ring the plaza: ticketing, an interpretation centre, a 500-seat Auditorium, a 200-seat 7D theatre, a cafeteria, shops and an open-air theatre. From here, the Day Zoo and the Night Safari each have their own boarding plaza.

The Night Safari

After dark, trams carry visitors along a winding route through landscapes modelled on Indian and African habitats, lit softly so that the animals are seen in something close to their own night. An Indian walking trail lets visitors explore part of the safari on foot.

• Arid India
• Indian Foothills
• Indian Wetlands
• African Wetlands
• Indian Walking Trail

The Day Zoo

By day, visitors move between open enclosures, water edges and covered viewing decks, with a conservation garden and a children’s park.

• Entry zone
• African Savannah
• Incredible India

Behind the scenes

Away from the public routes, the Master Plan provides a veterinary Hospital, a rescue centre, quarantine, a nursery and fodder area, research and administration offices, and Housing for staff. A large wetland is kept at the heart of the site, areas are set aside for future expansion, and the car and bus parks are covered with solar panels and EV charging.