BHUBANESWAR: Nandankanan Zoological Park moved towards cashless transaction by introducing online ticket booking facility on Thursday, which marked its 57th foundation day.
Now, apart from selling tickets over the counter, the entry fees and tickets for camera meant for the zoo can be purchased online through debit, credit cards and Internet banking. Similarly, entry and vehicle fees for Botanical Garden can also be done online as well as cards. Reservation for picnic spots, picnic shed, rest houses and cottages will now be done online only.
However, an additional `2 over and above the normal entry fee per individual will be charged as online transaction fee. Similarly, 2 per cent will be charged as transaction fee on all fees except tickets.
The foundation day function was attended by Secretary, Forest and Environment Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Chief Wildlife Warden Sidhanta Das and PCCF SS Srivastava.
Director Sisir Kumar Acharya informed that CCTV surveillance system through wi-fi mode has also been introduced in the zoo. As many as 43 cameras mounted on 18 poles will cover the entire visitors’ paths to monitor any unlawful and disruptive activities in the animal park. The project, estimated at `91.3 lakh, has been executed by Electronic Corporation of India Limited.
On the occasion, Nandan, the wild tiger which had walked into the park triggering a wave of controversy, was also released to a public exhibit area. Two normal coloured male cubs, offsprings of Nandan and Megha, were also taken into an enclosure with their mother. A life sized sculpture of ‘Kanan’, the tigress which had made Nandankanan its home in 1967, was also unveiled.
A new jackal enclosure, spread over 950 sq mt, was unveiled for visitors. Designed with a dry moat and enrichment features such as wooden platforms, stone caves, stilt root cave, water trough, the enclosure has six feeding cubicles with drop gate system and keeper’s corridor.
Deputy Director Jayant Kumat Das, Assistant Director KL Purohit, former directors, senior officers of the department and schoolchildren also took part in the foundation day celebration.