In Odisha, the Nandankanan Zoological Park has started a virtual tour for the people in the Covid-19 pandemic. Nandankanan Zoological Park is the first zoo in India that provides the White Tiger safari and takes the people to the Pride of Lion in the Safari.
However, people are not able to visit the wildlife park due to the pandemic, the Nandankanan zoological park allows them to take a virtual tour from their screens. The virtual tour will be available on the official website of the park, nandankanan.org
Although the virtual tour was planned two months back, owing to the Covid-19 safety procedures the plan was not executed. A senior official of the zoo stated that the videos of the animals were not prepared as the zoo was shut in the lockdown of Covid-19.
The artificial environment of the wildlife park in the tour includes still images and videos with sound effects of the animals along with the Kanjia lake and a botanical garden. There will be a 360-degree view of the zoo and the animal enclosures, as per the report.
A toy train is also planned to be inaugurated on the foundation day, 29th December. In 2019, the cyclone Fani had hit Odisha, it damaged the property of the park including the toy train. The reconstruction work was delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic, however, the work had started and is expected to cost around Rs 4.75 crores.
On October 4, the park was reopened after being closed for around six months owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. The standard operating procedures of the coronavirus are strictly implemented such as temperature checks, social distancing, people with even cold or cough are not allowed inside the premises.
On the first day of its reopening, it was observed that 360 visitors had entered the zoological park. Although the safari, boating and picnic facility is closed till further updates by the zoo.
The State government had issued certain guidelines for the reopening of the wildlife parks. It was suggested that all the senior citizens and kids stay away from the zoo. People without masks will not be allowed inside the zoological park. At the entrance of the park, a disinfected foot mat and sanitisers were installed for the visitors to walk through from it.
