# Kerala CM proposes shifting Thiruvananthapuram zoo to forest

2026-09-16T21:17:28+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has proposed shifting the Thiruvananthapuram zoo, a 167-year-old facility in the city centre, to a forest area such as Neyyar, calling the current location 'cruelty towards animals'. He wants the vacated 30-acre site turned into a public square like New York's Madison Square. The Hindu reports that activists and city residents have opposed the plan. Writer Sreedevi S. Kartha called the idea strange, environmentalist Veena Maruthoor dismissed zoos as outdated, and former zoo veterinarian Jacob Alexander argued for improving the existing Puthur zoo instead. Former Mayor V.K. Prasanth alleged commercial interests behind the move. BJP Mayor V.V. Rajesh supported the proposal, citing animal welfare and rising temperatures. No formal decision has been announced.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The Hindu's coverage presents both the Chief Minister's framing, shifting the zoo to end animal cruelty, and the opposition's concerns about the zoo as a green lung and heritage site, including former Mayor Prasanth's allegation of commercial motives. The Federal's shorter PTI-sourced report omits the controversy entirely, reporting only Satheesan's proposal as a straightforward announcement. The second Hindu piece adds a local political split: the BJP Mayor supports the move on animal welfare grounds while the CPI(M) ex-Mayor accuses commercial interests. The balanced reading is that this is as much a debate about urban space and political alignment as about animal welfare. A watch item: the government has not yet announced a formal decision or timeline.

## Coverage

- thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/cms-plan-to-relocate-city-zoo-triggers-debate/article71473664.ece>
  focuses on political split between Mayor and ex-Mayor
- thefederal.com (pro government) <https://thefederal.com/category/states/south/keralam/cm-satheesan-pitches-shifting-thiruvananthapuram-zoo-to-forest-area-256781>
  reports only CM's proposal without opposition views
- thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/debate-rages-over-plan-to-shift-thiruvananthapuram-zoo-in-keralam/article71475745.ece>
  focuses on political split between Mayor and ex-Mayor

Tags: Kerala, Neyyar, Thiruvananthapuram zoo, V.D. Satheesan
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