ABSTRACT

The Sardar Patel Zoological Park (SPZP) in Kevadiya, Gujarat, is confronting an operational crisis triggered by intense visitor surges, with daily footfalls exceeding 26,000 and projections of 30,000 in the upcoming winter season. Additional Director Soham Mukherjee has ninety days to design a sustainable visitor-flow system to ease the mid-day congestion that threatens animal welfare, visitor safety, and the park’s reputation. The stakes are amplified by SPZP’s status as India’s first operational Public–Private Partnership (PPP) zoo, positioned as a strategic model for modernising the nation’s zoo ecosystem. Its performance is being closely observed to assess whether private efficiency can align with public accountability, conservation, and educational commitments. Soham must address arrival variability while upholding two non-negotiables: protecting animal welfare—“Don’t cook the lions”—and preserving visitor experience, all within PPP constraints that limit pricing and infrastructure changes. He is considering timed entry, dynamic pricing, or a hybrid model, supported by the park’s Docent Program to promote structured, learning-oriented visits.

Keywords: Visitor Management, Zoological Park, Public Private Partnership, Logistics, Operations Strategy, Operations Management, General Management