Ranchi's premier wildlife attraction, the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, is implementing enhanced crowd control measures in anticipation of a massive influx of visitors on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Commonly known as Birsa Zoo, the park is increasing ticket counters and deploying additional police personnel to manage the expected surge.
Preparing for the Holiday Rush
The zoo administration is taking proactive steps to ensure a smooth and safe experience for all visitors. Zoo director Jabber Singh outlined the key measures being put in place. The number of ticket counters will be increased from the usual count to between seven and eight to prevent long queues and congestion at entry points.
Furthermore, to maintain order, a magistrate-rank official from the district administration will be stationed at the zoo, supported by a team of police personnel from the local police station. Singh also strongly encouraged visitors to utilize the park's online ticket booking system, which offers discounted rates and helps avoid physical queues altogether.
Record Footfall and New Additions
The preparations follow a recent record turnout. On December 29, the last Sunday of the year, the park witnessed an impressive footfall of approximately 15,000 visitors, generating a revenue of Rs 6.41 lakh. This is a significant jump from the average daily visitor count of 4,000 to 5,000 people.
Assistant conservator of forest Ashok Kumar Singh noted that the zoo traditionally sees between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors on January 1 each year. "This year, we are expecting that the number might go even higher. All our staff will be deployed on duty on December 31 and January 1 to manage the crowd effectively," he stated.
New Animals and a Tragic Loss
The year 2023 saw several exciting new additions to the zoo's collection of 1,544 animals. The park welcomed:
- A pair of Asiatic lions (a lion and lioness) from Nandanvan Zoo and Safari in Chhattisgarh.
- Two wild dogs from Alipore Zoo in West Bengal.
- A pair of crocodiles, aged three to four years, from a zoo in Chhattisgarh.
However, the year also brought sorrow. A female giraffe, also brought from Alipore Zoo, died unexpectedly within just a month of its arrival at the Birsa zoo facility.
With these new animals and the holiday spirit, officials are on extra vigil. The combined strategy of physical crowd management and promoting online bookings aims to ensure that the celebration of the new year at the biological park remains a pleasant and memorable experience for every visitor, without any untoward incidents.
