Three months on, Mohali’s Chhatbir Zoo reopens to 888 visitors

The zoo will remain open from 9.30am to 4.30pm on six days (Monday closed); as part of safety protocols, 5,400 visitors will be allowed per day in three slots of 1,800 each

The Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, popularly known as Chhatbir Zoo, reopened after a gap of three months on Tuesday, welcoming 888 visitors on the first day.

A tiger resting at Chhatbir Zoo on Tuesday. (Sant Arora/HT)

Punjab forest minister Sadhu Singh Dharmsot inaugurated the reopening and made a round of the zoo to check the arrangements.

The zoo will remain open from 9.30am to 4.30pm on six days (Monday closed). As part of safety protocols, the zoo will be allowing 5,400 visitors per day in three slots of 1,800 each.

Field director of the zoo Naresh Mahajan said, “Since it was a rainy day, there were only 888 visitors. At present, we have closed the lion safari, deer safari and nocturnal house and we are expecting a good response on weekends.”

One of the largest zoos in India, the Chhatbir Zoo is spread over 505 acres of forest area in Mohali and is home to around 1,500 animals and birds, including five adult tigers and three cubs.