World’s Largest Jungle Safari Set to Open Near Gurugram

Project Overview

• Area & Scale: Haryana is planning to develop a 10,000-acre jungle safari park in the Aravalli range spanning Gurugram and Nuh districts—making it the largest safari park globally
• Planning & Partnerships: The project is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and the Haryana government, with central funding

Attractions & Features

Visitors can expect these world-class experiences:

• Multi-zone safari featuring big cats (lions, tigers, cheetahs), herbivores, exotic animals, reptiles/amphibians (herpetarium), and birds (aviary)
• Specialty zones including an underwater world, botanical gardens, and themed biomes—equatorial, tropical, coastal, desert, etc.
• Nature trails, visitor amenities, and tourism zones modeled on global best standards

Expertise & Design

• Officials visited Sharjah Safari—currently the largest outside Africa (~2,000 acres)—to study its operations
• Two international firms have been shortlisted via global Expression of Interest and will compete in an international design competition
• An Aravalli Foundation will be established to oversee operations and management of the park

Goals & Impact

• Eco‑tourism boost: Expected to attract large visitor footfall from Delhi‑NCR and beyond
• Local employment: Opportunities for hospitality, guiding, conservation jobs, and homestays in nearby villages
• Conservation: Protecting Aravalli biodiversity with 180 bird species, 15 mammals, 29 reptiles/aquatic species, and 57 butterfly species

Environmental Concerns

• A revised plan scaled the initial 10,000 acres to a 2,500–3,000-acre first phase to address ecological concerns and safeguard dense forest patches