Delhi zoo set to reopen today in two shifts, ticket booking goes online

Preparations were underway on Saturday afternoon with the premises being sanitised and additional security being deployed to manage the Sunday crowd.

The Delhi zoo is set to reopen its gates to the public on Sunday, more than two months since it was shut during the second wave of the pandemic, with Covid-19 protocols and precautionary measures in place, said officials.

New Delhi, India - July 31, 2021: A worker chemically disinfects the premises at the National Zoological Park ahead of its reopening tomorrow, in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, July 31, 2021. (Photo by Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times) (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

Preparations were underway on Saturday afternoon with the premises being sanitised and additional security being deployed to manage the Sunday crowd. CCTV cameras have been installed and the zoo authorities have urged visitors to adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Delhi zoo director Ramesh Kumar Pandey said that in order to avoid queues at the ticketing stations, the zoo authorities had opened online booking for tickets on Saturday itself. “By 12 pm, approximately 300 tickets had been booked. Visitors can buy the tickets either through the zoo’s website or at the entry gates using QR codes. This time we will allow 1,500 entries in each slot. In total 3,000 visitors are allowed in the premises during the day. We have put up posters everywhere to urge visitors to maintain Covid-appropriate behavior,” said Pandey.

The zoo will be opened in two shifts -- 8 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm -- in order to space out the crowds and ensure adequate time for sanitising the premises. The zoo will be closed to visitors on Friday.