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Katraj zoo reopens after 2 years, sees a footfall of 12,854 visitors
PUNE From a 7-year-old child to a 60-year-old senior citizen, Punekars had a wonderful time in Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park & Wildlife Research Centre in Katraj as it opened on Sunday after a gap of two years
PUNE From a 7-year-old child to a 60-year-old senior citizen, Punekars had a wonderful time in Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park & Wildlife Research Centre in Katraj as it opened on Sunday after a gap of two years.
On the first day, the zoo had 12,854 visitors, mostly comprising children and generated a revenue of ₹4,47,690.
“We have received numerous visitors on the first day as the zoo opened its doors after two years. Few new species like Jungle cat, Leopard cat, Indian giant squirrel and Male lion Tejas are new attractions. The booking office was open from 9 am to 5pm and at 6pm gates were closed,” said Dr Rajkumar Jadhav, director, Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park and Wildlife Research Centre.
A notification issued by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on March 14 states that the zoo will be opened as per pre-Covid timings as long as citizens follow all Covid guidelines.
“I saw many new animals compared to the last time I visited the zoo two years ago. There was heavy rush as I waited for 45 minutes at the ticket line . More volunteers inside could have helped to manage the crowd better,” said Rahul Khairnar who was accompanied by his son and wife.
Another visitor Amar Pawar said, “The zoo has been well maintained by authorities in the last two years. My children enjoyed the three hours that we spent inside. I hope we get to see more animals and that the Pune Municipal Corporation keeps zoo upgradation as its top priority.”
According to the zoo’s official, the park houses 440 animals of 63 different species including eight tigers, leopards, and giant squirrel. The Katraj zoo is spread across 130 acres and is divided into three areas- an animal orphanage, a snake park and a zoo overlooking a lake spanning 42 acres. The zoo gets financial aid from the Central Zoo Authority.
Pune municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar has placed provisions for the development and upgrade of the zoo in the civic budget 2022-23. The second phase of development of Katraj zoo will start in 2022-23.
Till now PMC has erected five of the nine planned ducts as part of the first phase. In the next four months, enclosures for lion, zebra and four-horned antelope (Chausinga) will be completed. The second phase of development, including the upgrade of the snake park, would start from next financial year, said officials.
Relief for street eateries
Sunday turned out to be a good day for business for the eateries located outside Katraj zoo, “Since morning there is a rush of people, in the last two years, we were operating only in during the evening hours as the zoo was closed, but now we will restart our business in the morning as well. Major hours for business is till 6 pm,” said Sukesh Ladda, owner of Navnath Sugarcane centre.
