Alipore Zoo lays down guidelines for visitors ahead of winter crowd

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)


Alipore Zoo authorities have reinforced several measures to protect the environment of the zoo and ensure safety of the inmates ahead of the winter season when lakhs of visitors come every year. The zoo authorities have launched an awareness drive to ensure that the visitors abide by the basic rules that are already in place.

“We have reinforced some basic guidelines before the largest footfall of the season begins. As thousands of people visit the zoo from remote districts of Bengal and from other states, we have decided to re-run the awareness campaigns extensively. Apart from the advertisements in the television, boards displaying dos and don’ts while inside the zoo premises will be put up everywhere and there will be announcements made through microphones,” said Alipore zoo di rector Ashish Kumar Samanta.

“The rules prohibiting the visitors from feeding the wild animals with food brought from outside and teasing them by throwing stones and food will be strictly enforced. Two years back, we had introduced a fine up to Rs 2000 for violating these rules. Since then we have seen a considerable drop in this type of nuisances. After its introduction in 2017, the amount of money collected as fine declined sharply in 2018 and it indicates a growing sensitivity and awareness about these rules. We have seen good response among the visitors as well, as most of them refrain from throwing food items inside the animal enclosures,” said Samanta.

The visitors will not be allowed to bring plastic bottles, food containers and polythene bags. The zoo authorities have arranged saal leaves procured from Kharagpur in West Midnapore for the visitors to carry food items to ensure that no harm is done to the environment. Recently, the zoo authorities also released mosquito larvae-eating fishes in the waterbodies inside thezoo premises to prevent these from becoming breeding ground of disease-carrying mosquitoes.