Chennai: With school set to re-open this week, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park aka Vandalur Zoo yesterday had a record breaking 23,610 footfalls.
A zoo official said usually there will be more crowd during pongal holidays. “We were quiet surprised to see so many people turning up to visit the zoo yesterday. The previous highest number for a non-festival season was on 13 May when 23,509 people visited the zoo,” he said.
The official said more people who came to participate in the MGR birth centenary function also visited the Zoo which also contributed to the sudden rush. “All rangers and animal keepers were given proper instructions to maintain the crowd. The people who came yesterday also behaved well and cooperated well with us,’ the he added. The official further said the visitors were very keen in seeing Rohini, the new elephant calf that was recently brought here. ‘The new seven Ostrich chicks also had good number of visitors,” the official opined.
A visitor said car parking was a major problem when there is such a huge rush. “Most visitors park their vehicles on the Vandalur- Kelambakkam road which at times leads to traffic buildup. I hope the officials take necessary action to address this issue in the future,” said Arjun, a resident.
| OPEN TOMORROW |
| It may be noted that the zoo authorities have announced that the park will be opened to public on 2 October. Meanwhile, the inauguration of the Wildlife Conservation Week will be held at the Guindy Childrens Park at 3 pm tomorrow. |