Tamil Nadu To Open Zoos For Free On CM Vijay’s 52nd Birthday; When & How To Register?

Tamil Nadu is getting ready to celebrate the birthday of its Chief Minister. This year, Tamil Nadu CM Thalapthy Vijay is celebrating his 52nd birthday and on this special occasion, the forest department has planned to allow free access to select zoos for two days. Read to know!

Free Zoo Entry Announced For Thalapathy Vijay’s Birthday Celebrations

Tamil Nadu’s CM Thalapthy Vijay will celebrate his birthday on June 22. To make celebration memorable, the forest department is offering free zoo entry on both June 21 and 22. As per The New Indian Express, this announcement includes all three forests; the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur, the Amirthi Zoological Park in Vellore district, and the Kurumbapatti Zoological Park in Salem district. 

Forest Minister R V Ranjithkumar also revealed that the visitors who are willing to visit these three zoo will have to register their visits online. He said that a family trust will pay the full ticket cost, which is expected to be around ₹1 crore. He also made it clear that Vandalur Zoo will not suffer any financial loss because of this scheme.

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Why This Decision Has Raised Concerns?

This decision might have excited the wildlife lovers but have raised concern among wildlife experts and zoo officials. They are worried about overcrowding, especially at Vandalur Zoo in Tamil Nadu. It’s because this zoom already sees very high visitor numbers. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the zoo used to record up to 60,000 visitors on peak days like Pongal. Experts also point out that the zoo can safely handle only around 15,000 visitors at a time, which adds to their concerns.

In response to these concerns, the minister said that the authorities are already preparing strict crowd-control measures. He added that online ticket bookings will be limited to 50,000 per day. He also explained that entry through physical counters will depend on how many visitors are already inside the zoo at that time. 

Also, due to space limitations and crowd management concerns, the minister also clarified that the Children’s Park in Guindy will not be part of the free-entry scheme. Officials have planned a review meeting at Vandalur Zoo on Thursday to finalise all arrangements and make sure everything runs smoothly. Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra will also attend it.

What are your thoughts on this free zoo entry? Tell us in the comments below!

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Cover Image Courtesy: website/ Arignar Anna Zoological Park & Instagram/ @actorvijay