Birsa Zoo Ranchi Gears Up for New Year's Eve & Day Crowds: Increased Tickets, Security, New Animals

Ranchi: Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park in Ranchi, popularly known as Birsa zoo, has stepped up efforts for additional measures, increasing the number of ticket counters and deployment of additional police personnel at the zoo, expecting a surge in visitors’ footfall on Dec 31 and Jan 1.A zoo official said that on Dec 29, the last Sunday of this year, the park received a footfall of around 15,000 visitors and collected Rs 6.41 lakh as revenue. On normal days, 4,000- 5,000 tourists visit the park, which houses a total of 1,544 animals.The zoo saw new additions in animals this year, with a pair of Asiatic lion and lioness to the zoo from Chhattisgarh’s Nandanvan Zoo and Safari, two wild dogs and a female giraffe from West Bengal’s Alipore Zoo. Birsa zoo has also received a pair of crocodiles, aged about three-four years, from the Chhattisgarh Zoo, giving its visitors a chance to witness the reptiles up close.However, the giraffe met an unfortunate death within just a month of arriving at the Birsa zoo.Zoo director Jabber Singh told TOI that they have geared up with additional measures to control the crowd, so that no untoward incident takes place.“The number of ticket counters will be increased to seven to eight, to prevent a rush at the counters. Also, an official of the district administration of the rank of magistrate, along with police personnel from the local police station, will be deployed to prevent the rush,” Singh added.He said the zoo also has an online ticket booking system, and appealed to visitors to use the facility, adding, “In online booking, the visitors get a discount in ticket prices too. They can visit the zoo’s website and easily book tickets.” Assistant conservator of forest at the zoo, Ashok Kumar Singh, said that every year the zoo receives 15,000- 20,000 visitors’ footfall on the first day of the year. “This year, we are expecting that the number might go high. We are keeping an extra vigil at the zoo. On Dec 31 and Jan 1, all our staff will be deployed at the zoo section to manage the crowd,” Ashok said.