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Amid falling footfalls, Delhi zoo shut down over coronavirus
So far eight states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttarakhand have shut down their zoos as a precautionary measure against coronavirus.
The Delhi Zoo was closed Wednesday afternoon till March 31 in the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic, officials said Wednesday.
According to officials in the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), which is the regulatory body for all zoos in the country, the proposal for shutdown had been approved by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and formal orders would be issued soon after.
The Delhi zoo has been closed in line with others to keep the visitors and the staff safe till March 31, after which the order will be reviewed, said S P Yadav, member secretary, CZA.
So far eight states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttarakhand have shut down their zoos as a precautionary measure to keep the virus at bay while the Haryana government is also planning to follow suit, he said.
The average daily and weekend footfalls in the Delhi zoo had already declined sharply following the coronavirus outbreak that has so far infected 10 people including a foreigner in the national capital.
On an average the Delhi zoo draws 15,000-18, 000 visitors on weekends and holidays, which has come down to just about 2000, said a senior zoo official.
This is the second time the Delhi zoo will be shut in just over three years. On October 19, 2006, the zoo was shut for almost three months over bird flu. It reopened on January 12, 2017.
