KOLKATA: People will now be able to see the birds and animals of the Alipore zoo from their homes with the authorities starting live sessions on Facebook, as the city's one of the top destinations continues to remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launching the initiative on Sunday, Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee said the live sessions for the major attractions at the zoo will be hosted for an hour each in the morning and the afternoon.
"Annually 35 lakh visitors throng the Alipore zoo. Many of these visitors are regulars and they make it a point to visit the zoo at least once a year. We don't want to deprive these people, including children, anymore," he said.
The first session will be from 9 am to 10 am, while the second one will be from 3 pm to 4 pm, Banerjee said.
"We may increase the timings depending on the response," he said. The zoo is shut for the public since March 16 due to the pandemic.
Established in 1876, the Alipore zoo at present houses around 1,100 wild animals, including tigers, lions, leopards, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and an anaconda, besides birds of various species.
People will be able to have a 360-degree view of the these animals in the live session The authorities launched a mobile app in April to host virtual tours. It has detailed information about the birds and animals in Bengali and English.