The Giza zoo, a lush 80-acre oasis in the heart of Cairo bordered by urban sprawl and thundering traffic, is a popular attraction for millions of poor and middle-class Egyptians.

Families and couples go there to picnic or stroll under the shade of the park's towering palms and eucalyptus trees. With free entry for children and tickets selling at 5 Egyptian pounds (17 cents) for adults, the zoo is one of a handful of leisure destinations that remain affordable.

But a controversial proposal to overhaul the animal park and adjacent Orman Botanical Garden — announced by the government in December — may soon put both parks out of reach for most Egyptians.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi criticized in his address to an economic conference in late December the neglect that the zoo has been subjected to by authorities. "Visit the zoo to see for yourself the extent of negligence, the crumbling infrastructure, the shortcomings and the suffering," he said. The statement was a prelude to directives he gave a few days later to upgrade the zoo to international standards.