Bhubaneswar: Nandankanan Zoological Park started a virtual tour of the zoo Thursday onwards. This has been done keeping in mind the apprehensions of visitors to the zoo due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoo authorities informed about the virtual tour on its website Nandankanan.org and also on Twitter.
The Zoo authorities wrote on Twitter, “Now you can make a virtual tour of Nandankanan staying at home. Please visit http://nandankanan.org/tour or http://nandankanan.org for an incredible experience”.
The tour will be a virtual visit of zoological park comprising the animals, botanical garden and Kanjia lake, combining a sequence of images and videos.
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The virtual tour plan was planned two months back but due to COVID-19 pandemic it was not implemented. The zoo remained closed since March third week and reopened for visitors October 4.
With this development, Nandankanan became the fifth zoo in India after Alipore (Kolkata), Chhatbir (Punjab), Chennai and Lucknow to have such a tour.
Earlier, the Odisha government had issued issues guidelines for reopening of zoos and deer parks. As per the guidelines, visitors without masks will not be allowed to enter. Similarly those suffering from ailments like fever, cough and cold will also not be permitted to enter the zoo premises. Also senior citizens and infants have been advised to stay away from the zoos and parks.
Also all visitors will have to pass through medicated foot mat and body sanitisers fixed at the zoo entrance. Security personnel have been advised to prevent visitors from gathering in large numbers.