Pakistan, Environment and Tourism
Islamabad to Host Pakistan's First Safari Park
A forested stretch near Bara Kahu has been chosen for a project that aims to put Pakistan on the map of serious wildlife tourism.
For years Pakistan has watched neighbouring countries build sprawling wildlife parks that draw families, researchers and tourists from far beyond their borders, while its own zoos remained small, dated and often criticised for poor animal welfare.
That gap is now set to narrow in a meaningful way. The Capital Development Authority has announced that it has finalized the site for what is being called the country's first world class wildlife safari park, choosing the Malpur Forestry Park area near Bara Kahu and Murree Road on the edge of Islamabad as the home for this ambitious undertaking.
The decision brings to a close months of planning that began when federal authorities first floated the idea of a major new zoo and safari complex for the capital.
According to officials, the chosen plot covers roughly 350 acres of existing natural forest, land that the CDA says will largely be preserved rather than cleared during construction. That detail matters in a city where rapid development has already eaten into green cover, and it suggests planners are at least attempting to balance ambition with environmental caution.
The project has not appeared out of nowhere. Reports going back to 2024 show that federal authorities, led at the time by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, had already given in principle approval for a zoo and safari park intended to house thousands of animals and birds.
That earlier announcement spoke of a 200 acre facility and a foundation stone ceremony planned for October. The version that has now taken shape is considerably larger in scope, reflecting how the concept evolved from a city zoo upgrade into a full scale national wildlife destination.
The aim is not simply to display animals, but to build a functioning ecosystem of conservation, research and recreation within reach of the capital.
What makes this iteration genuinely different from Pakistan's existing parks is the sheer scale of what is being proposed.
Officials say the completed site will eventually house around 3,605 animals spread across ten distinct safari and wildlife sanctuary zones, each designed to mimic the natural habitat of the species it contains rather than confining them to bare enclosures.
This is a marked departure from the cage based model that has long defined facilities such as the older sections of Lahore Zoo, and it brings Pakistan closer to the open habitat philosophy used in better regarded parks internationally.
The master plan, as described by CDA officials, divides the park into clearly defined sections. A 1,000 kanal zone dedicated to ungulates such as deer, antelope and similar grazing animals is expected to be the largest single area, featuring nature trails, wildlife viewing points and even a glass soft wheel train that will carry visitors through the habitat without disturbing the animals.
A separate 180 kanal area has been set aside specifically for big cats and other predators, including lions, tigers, bears, hyenas and African wild dogs, with each species given its own dedicated space rather than being grouped together indiscriminately.
Beyond the predators and grazing animals, the plan includes 340 kanals of wildlife sanctuaries intended for some of the more demanding species to house, among them crocodiles, rhinos, elephants and hippos.
These animals require specialised water systems, climate controlled shelters and far more space than smaller mammals, which is presumably why they have been allocated their own distinct sanctuary zone rather than being folded into the general safari areas.
Animal welfare appears to have been treated as a genuine consideration rather than an afterthought. The plan sets aside a 100 kanal Wildlife Care Complex that will include veterinary, treatment and quarantine facilities built to international standards, supported by a dedicated Safari Park Veterinary Clinic.
Given the criticism Pakistani zoos have faced in the past over the condition of their animals, this emphasis on a properly resourced medical wing suggests the authorities are aware that the credibility of the entire project rests on how well the animals are actually cared for once they arrive.
The visitor experience side of the plan is equally elaborate. A Safari Pavilion will serve as the main point for ticketing and visitor information, while a 400 kanal Safari Village is planned to include lodges, dining options and recreational facilities for families wanting to spend a full day or even stay overnight near the park.
A dedicated Safari Village Restaurant and a 50 kanal Safari Food Street are also part of the design, indicating that planners want the destination to function as more than just an animal viewing site, positioning it instead as a broader leisure and hospitality complex.
Among the more striking features mentioned in the plans is a 10 kanal natural lake that will sit at the heart of the park, complete with bridge walks for visitors who want a quieter, more reflective experience away from the animal enclosures.
There is also a proposal for a two kilometre safari chairlift track, which would allow visitors to view portions of the park from above, an attraction that, if built as described, would be unlike anything currently offered at any wildlife facility in the country.
According to separate reporting on the announcement, the project is explicitly framed around the dual goals of conservation and sustainable tourism, with officials describing it as an attempt to bring internationally inspired wildlife experiences to Pakistan while creating a genuinely modern recreational option for families living in or visiting the capital.
The location near Bara Kahu, just off Murree Road, also makes it relatively accessible from both Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and within reasonable driving distance for tourists heading toward Murree itself.
The CDA has indicated that the feasibility study and conceptual design phases for the project have already been completed, and that the scheme is now set to move into the tendering process ahead of actual construction.
This is a meaningful milestone, since many large public infrastructure proposals in Pakistan stall at the planning stage for years before any construction tender is issued. Moving to tendering suggests there is real intent to begin building rather than simply unveiling another concept that quietly fades from public attention.
It is worth placing this announcement in context. Pakistan already has several wildlife parks scattered across the country, including the long established Lahore Safari Zoo, which began life in 1981 as the Woodland Wildlife Park before being renovated and rebranded in 2009.
That facility, spread across roughly 242 acres, remains popular with families and includes a sizable lake, boating facilities and the country's largest walkthrough aviary. There is also the Lal Suhanra National Park near Bahawalpur, one of the oldest protected areas in the country, along with smaller facilities such as the Murree Wildlife Park and Jallo Park near Lahore.
What sets the Islamabad project apart from these existing sites is both its scale and its design philosophy. None of Pakistan's current parks come close to the 350 acre footprint being proposed for Malpur Forestry Park, and few if any have attempted the kind of species specific, habitat replicating zone system that this plan describes.
If completed as outlined, it would represent a genuine step change rather than an incremental upgrade to what already exists.
There is, of course, a long road between a finalized site and a fully operational safari park housing thousands of animals across ten specialised zones.
Large public projects of this nature typically face funding delays, procurement challenges and the slow pace that often accompanies major construction in Pakistan. The animal welfare commitments, the veterinary infrastructure and the conservation framing all sound encouraging on paper, but their real test will come once the park is built and operating, when independent observers and visitors will be able to judge whether the enclosures genuinely reflect natural habitats and whether the animals receive the standard of care that has been promised.
Still, the symbolic value of the announcement should not be understated. For a capital city that has often struggled to offer large scale family recreation beyond its parks and shopping centres, a properly designed wildlife safari could become a genuine cultural landmark, one capable of drawing visitors from across the country and potentially from abroad.
It also signals a broader shift in how Pakistani cities are beginning to think about combining environmental preservation with public recreation, rather than treating the two as competing priorities.
For now, residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will have to wait for the tendering process to conclude and construction to begin before the Malpur Forestry Park site starts to resemble anything close to the safari described in official briefings.
But with the location finalized, the feasibility work completed and a detailed master plan already on paper, Pakistan's first world class wildlife safari park has moved from concept to a project with an actual address, and that alone marks a meaningful step toward a destination that the country has long lacked.
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