Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Satheesan said the proposal to relocate the city‑center zoo was first tabled at the ‘Reimagining Keralam’ roundtable conference, adding that keeping animals in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram amounts to cruelty. He promised that the 55‑acre site vacated by the zoo would be redeveloped into a public space the city could be proud of and emphasized that the land would not be put up for sale.
The relocation plan has met with organized opposition. On Wednesday evening, the Kerala NGO Union staged a protest at the zoo, inaugurated by actor and Left activist P. Sreekumar. Sreekumar recalled his childhood walks through the zoo‑museum complex, describing it as the city’s “green lung” and a cultural hub that hosts invaluable flora, fauna and community gatherings.
Sreekumar accused the plan of being a post‑UDF‑government attempt to strip away the zoo’s resources, claiming that fewer than 10% of the annual 1.4 million visitors would attend if the zoo were moved. He urged residents to pledge protection for the zoo’s current location.
Former Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth echoed the sentiment, noting that the zoo, established in 1859, is a 167‑year‑old heritage landmark. Prasanth said there is no objection to building a new zoo elsewhere in the district, but warned against any commercial development on the existing site, which also houses museums and art galleries – a combination he called “rare in the world.”
Prasanth also pointed out that what the chief minister described as a “dream” was later labeled a decision by the health minister, suggesting a shift in political framing. He stressed that the protest’s message is not against development per se, but against disrupting the historic complex that serves as a meeting place for the city’s old and infirm.
Zoo employees joined the demonstration, underscoring the breadth of opposition within the institution itself. The protest comes as the state government prepares to outline its next steps for the site, while activists continue to demand that the zoo remain untouched in its current urban setting.