The long-awaited night safari at Assam State Zoo in Guwahati was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh on Sunday.

The safari will be thrown open to public from April 15. Initially, two battery-operated vehicles will provide this service to visitors.

The ticket price and other such formalities are being finalized. First of its kind in the state, the service is expected to be greeted with enthusiasm.

Narayan Mahanta, District Forest Officer at the zoo, said, "We have introduced battery-operated vehicle in Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden campus, we call it night safari. But it is not during night. It is basically during day... evening time. Once the normal zoo period is over, then we will operate the battery-operated vehicle for two hours. The people those who are there in office are very busy with their normal work under tremendous stress, to get relief, they will come to the zoo."

The zoo, which has rest places and eateries at different spots, boasts a collection of some rare and extinct species of wild animals including white tigers, one-horned rhinos, Swamp tapirs and leopards.

It was further informed by the officials that it is encompassing over 130 hectares of land and is also prosperous in the avian branch and plays host to rare species of birds.

Officials further said that zoo inmates are caged only for better viewing otherwise they have complete freedom in the natural habitat created for them. (With Inputs from Agencies)