Soon, see white tiger up close at Delhi Zoo

Soon, you will be able to see a white tiger from a close distance at the Delhi Zoo. Nivedita Khandekar reports.

Soon, you will be able to see a white tiger from a close distance at the Delhi Zoo.

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The National Zoological Park - popularly known as the Delhi Zoo - plans to introduce a glass viewing facility for the white tiger enclosure, the first such attempt for a white tiger in any Indian zoo.

The enclosure upgrade is in the pipeline as part of an ongoing implementation of the master plan for the sprawling zoo. Zoo officials said currently the tiger can be 'viewed' from far away from one side of the moat. But, now people, especially children, will be able to see a tiger at a few feet's distance.

"We will take precautions to ensure that the glass does not break," said Amitabh Agnihotri, zoo's director.Officials from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), regulatory body for all zoos across India, confirmed such a facility is being introduced for white tigers for the first time in India.

"(But) CZA will have to ensure, as and when zoo authorities apply for a design clearance, that the standard norms for exhibit display are followed," Brij Kishore Gupta, CZA's evaluation and monitoring officer, said.

The facility is slated to start in about three months' time, Agnihotri added.