BHUBANESWAR: To provide a better experience to visitors, the Nandankanan Zoological Park is strengthening its guide service and has sought to recruit more resources.The zoo has asked the Nandankanan Guide Association to submit a list of qualified persons who can be registered as authorised guides. The number has been fixed at 70 given the current flow of tourists on a daily basis. The licence of the guides in the zoo has not been renewed since 2016 due to which they are being treated as private guides.
“Once the guides are registered with the zoo, we will be able to streamline services for tourists in a better manner,” Deputy Director of the zoo Dr Sanjeet Kumar said. He said the zoo will also be able to hold orientation programmes and training sessions for the guides to make them more professional. “It will also help visitors recognise the registered guides,” Kumar said.
Apart from identity cards, the zoo may keep the provision of uniform for authorised guides for their easy identification by visitors. The zoo will be able to regulate the rates to be charged by the authorised guides as many tourists in the recent years are seeking their regulation. Vice president of Nandankanan Guide Association Sumanta Kumar Sundarray welcomed the zoo’s decision and said the list of guides will be submitted to the authorities within a week.