BAU: Tasik Biru is set to be the location of Sarawak’s first privately-owned zoo, planned as part of the Tasik Biru Resort City development.
Tecktonic & Sons Holdings Sdn Bhd’s Managing Director, Lee Chin Teck, said the project is expected to unlock new tourism potential for Bau as an emerging destination in Borneo.
“The zoo licence application has been submitted to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), and if approved, construction is expected to begin this year with an estimated cost of RM30 million.
“It plans to house various animal species, including tigers, lions and giraffes,” he said during the Bau’s 205th Anniversary Celebration in conjunction with Pesta Tasik Biru and Tasik Biru Resort City here today.
Lee said the proposed zoo site will be located next to Tasik Biru, which has been historically associated with gold mining activities since the 1820s.
He added that the idea was inspired by his visits to several zoos across Southeast Asia and the Butchart Garden in Canada, which was developed on a former limestone quarry.
The zoo, he said, will be part of a larger integrated development that includes hotel, apartment, theme park, and a lakeside boulevard.
He also pointed out that the project would adopt an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) approach to ensure the rehabilitation of the former mining area is done responsibly.
