Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar likely to reopen in October

Bhubaneswar: The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP), a famous tourist spot here in Odisha, is likely to reopen for the tourists in the first week of October 2020, officials said on Friday.  The zoo authority has given a proposal to the State government in this connection.

The zoo is likely to be reopened in first week of October under strict COVID-19 guidelines, informed the NZP Director Sashi Paul today.

A special SOP adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines will be released ahead of the opening of the zoo, he added saying that the zoo authority will make proper arrangements for the tourists as per the Covid-19 guidelines like sanitisation of the tourists before entering into the zoo and hand wash facility for the tourists inside the zoo premises etc.

All the guidelines issued by the Union government and the State government will strictly be followed in the zoo, he added.

The zoo has been closed for the last five months in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The zoo is home to about 1660 individual animals representing 166 species, including 67 species of mammals, 81 species of birds, and 18 species of reptiles.