New Delhi: After more than two months of inactivity due to a bird-flu (CAN BE USED FOR CLARITY?) outbreak, the Delhi zoo reopened its doors to the public on Saturday, pulling in more than 8,000 visitors, including nearly a thousand enthusiastic students from 12 schools.
The reopening also introduced a new and convenient ticketing facility -- "Insta Ticket Booking Service" -- allowing visitors to skip long queues by scanning a QR code at the entrance and securing their tickets instantly.
"This made our visit so smooth; we did not have to wait at all," said a delighted visitor, who had come with her two kids, "My kids love visiting the zoo so we come here every winter. This time, my younger kid, who is only five, had been insisting on visiting the zoo for the last two weeks, and I could not explain why we had been delaying the trip. He is very happy today."
Another visitor, Sakshi Sinha (32) from south Delhi, had come with her husband and her niece. "My niece loves the zoo---from mammals to the bird section, she spends significant time reading all the information and observing the animals. We also encouraged her interest, so wanted to come on the very first day of the reopening," Sinha said.
Standing near the tiger enclosure, Sinha's seven-year-old niece gazed wide-eyed at the majestic animal lounging in the sun. "She has always been fascinated by tigers. She keeps pointing and asking questions about its stripes and habits. It is incredible to see her so engaged," Sinha said.
The zoo had been shut since August 30 after several waterbirds tested positive for avian influenza, commonly called bird flu. Multiple rounds of testing have since confirmed the absence of the virus, giving the green light for reopening under strict safety protocols.
"About 8,065 visitors came on the first day, including 954 school children from 12 schools. We are equally glad that the first day of reopening saw this amount of enthusiasm from the people of the city," said another zoo official.