The convention relating to the Aïn Sebaâ zoo was a key item discussed during the extraordinary session of the Casablanca City Council. The session was held on Thursday 23 July at the headquarters of the wilaya of the Casa-Settat region.
10 Million DHS to finalize the project
The project in itself aims to redevelop the former Aïn Sebaâ zoo, which has been part of Casablanca’s heritage for over 80 years, into a modern zoological park (Zoo-immersion). The main objective is to meet the needs of the city in terms of animation equipment. In this sense, 10 Million DHS should be used to finalize the work of the zoo. ” This project should be completed by the end of this year “, promises Abdelaziz El Omari, President of the City Council of Casablanca.
As regards the overall budget of the project, it is estimated at 250 MDHS. It is financed by the Ministry of Interior, namely the General Directorate of Local Authorities, up to 130 million DHS, the Municipality of Casablanca (80 MDHS) and the region of Casablanca-Settat (40 MDHS). This project, which covers an area of 10 hectares, does not only include a zoo, since half of the land is covered by a 5-hectare wooded area. The rest is divided between the zoo “proper” (2.5 hectares) and the playground (2.5 hectares).
It should be noted that the rehabilitation of the zoo, which falls within the framework of the projects financed by the Casablanca development plan, has already fallen far behind schedule.
Having said that, the mayor attests that the development of a zoo is not easy. “It takes at least six months just to bring the collection of animals,” he says. To date, nearly 230 million DHS have already been invested in this gigantic project. Not to mention the 15 million DHS over budget and the 10 million DHS needed for operating costs for the first year of operation. “We considered several management scenarios for the zoo, before selecting the option of operating through SDL Casa Events & Animation,” explains El Omari.
According to the delegated project owner, Casa Aménagement, the zoo should include three geographical areas representing Africa, Asia and America, an animal collection of more than 45 species, and an educational farm. As far as the entertainment and shopping area is concerned, two large areas are dedicated for picnics, a restaurant, a shop and two kiosks.
Be the first to comment