Zoo remains a favourite spot for picnickers

• To beat the heat, have fun and spend quality time
• Over 90,000 people visited the zoo in the last three days

Hyderabad: Unmindful of the rising temperatures, thousands of visitors are making it to the Nehru Zoological Park (NZP). In the last three days more than 90,000 people visited the zoo. A variety of reasons propelled the zoo to still be the most sought after destination for people in the city looking to have fun and spend quality time.

P Mallikarjuna Rao, director of the zoo, says, “The NZP is not static, we have been adding several animals periodically. More than 40 animals were added to the zoo in the last one year. People who visit the zoo have something new to look forward to.” With more than 30 lakh visitors during the year 2013-14, the zoo has become a favourite haunt for picnickers. “What makes the zoo a top favourite is the verdant 380 acres and it is one of the cleanest zoos in the country,” says Surekha, software professional. She adds, “I have visited several zoos in the country and abroad. The zoo in Hyderabad is on par with the best in the world and even better than most.” The temperature inside the zoo is 8-10 per cent less in comparison to the outside temperature which is a major plus considering the summer in Hyderabad, said the curator of the zoo, BNN Murthy. Even for animals it is a huge respite from the scorching heat. Installation of matting, covering the rooftops with tunga grass, using sprinklers in open enclosures have helped a great deal as no sickness was reported in the last month, he added.

Geetha, a wildlife enthusiast and a regular visitor to the zoo, says, “What sets the zoo apart from other zoos are the new additions. Three Royal Bengal tigers, three white tiger cubs, two leopard cubs, a pair of African lions and two Jaguar cubs added to the zoo in the last year.”