Hello and welcome, readers! I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy, especially given the rising cases of COVID-19 around the world. As we wrap up this year and prepare to welcome the new one, I wanted to share one of my recent experiences with you all. I hope you enjoy it. Here it goes.

For some time, we have been discussing how to celebrate Christmas this year. Many ideas were pitched at the table, but I had to make sure I was available for the Christmas Day night duty in the emergency room of Paras-HEC Hospital in Dhurwa, Ranchi. So, we decided to celebrate on Christmas Eve. My wife had never been to a zoological park, and my mother and I realized it had been more than a decade and a half since we last visited the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park. Thus, our family excursion to the zoo on December 24th was signed and sealed.

Ranchi, with its natural topology and greenery, is home to one of the marvelous tourist spots: Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park. This eventful place, established in 1994, is spread over 104 hectares on the outskirts of Ranchi.

We planned to leave by noon, but for mysterious reasons (yes, I’m being sarcastic), we got delayed by an hour. Living on the National Highway (NH-33), the zoo is closer to our house than it is for most city residents. It took us about 45 minutes for our group of four—my uncle Rajanth, my mother, my wife, and me—to reach our destination.

Upon arrival, we realized it was packed due to the winter holidays. Everywhere around the main entrance was filled with parked vehicles, including school buses and private cars. We assumed we wouldn’t find a parking spot nearby, but as we drove to the next U-turn and returned, we luckily found some visitors leaving, making space for us.

Wow! That was my first reaction as I stepped out of my Ciaz and looked around. My memory of my last visit was hazy, but I could definitely say it never looked like this. I also saw a poster stating we could book zoo entrance tickets online. When you have a facility like that, why not create awareness for it online too? Besides that, there were posters promoting nature conservation—a commendable effort by the state. The zookeepers and guards managed the parking quite efficiently. My first impressions exceeded my expectations.

Next, we headed to the ticket counter, facing a long queue. Suddenly, a helpful man announced that another ticket counter on the other side of the zoo gate was now functional. We quickly got our tickets there. While standing in line, I noticed that multiple schools had planned their excursions for the day. It’s great to see schools instigating curiosity, educating, and creating awareness about nature.

With tickets in hand, we entered the zoo, where we were checked for single-use plastic items to prevent pollution—an excellent effort by the keepers.

Inside, there were a few options to move around the zoo. One could walk, rent a bicycle, or hire an electric vehicle (6-seater, 11-seater, or 16-seater) to tour the zoo with specific stops near habitat clusters. This is a great facility for physically challenged and senior citizens to make it possible for them to tour the zoo.

We started our tour by heading right as guided, but since the route is circular, it doesn’t matter which way you start. We were greeted by various birds in multiple aviaries, including Emus, Lovebirds, Swans, Cockatiels, Munias, Spotted doves, Java finches, Black swans, Great white pelicans, Kites, Red-breasted Parakeets, Grey Parrots, Rose-ringed Parakeets, Ostriches, Peacocks, and more.

Billboards educated visitors about the animals and the issues they face.

We then met the national animal of our country, the tiger, along with the Royal Bengal tiger. The tigers were pacing up and down as if aiming for 10,000 steps (a trend due to health apps), while the Royal Bengal tiger, likely having finished his afternoon meal, was dozing.

The zoo authorities encourage the adoption of animals to save costs, with some large corporations like SBI, PNB, and CCL having adopted animals.

By now, my mother felt exhausted from walking, so we took a much-needed break. My mom initially regretted walking, given the other transportation options, but after resting, she was determined to complete the tour on foot, taking breaks as needed. Proud of you, Mom!

We continued and encountered a few wild cats. Near the Lion habitat, we heard roars, which, though harmless in this setting, can give anyone goosebumps. After some difficulty, we spotted the lion relaxing under a tree.

We reached the Jheel (lake), where swans swam and pedal boats were parked. Next to it was a canteen, set to reopen the next day, along with boating, a snake house, and a 3D cinema theatre. Fortunately, we could buy bottled water to avoid common drinking sources, taking extra COVID-19 precautions.

After the lake, the spacing between habitats seemed to increase. We saw Jackals, Foxes, Hyenas, and Bears, the latter playing without a worry. Following them, we saw smelly Porcupines, silent Sambhars awaiting their food, Blackbucks, Chital, and Nilgai.

Bears were fun to watch as they were lying on their backs and being playful with their surroundings like they were devoid of any worry. After watching them relax we too settled down for a while on a bench near their habitat.

After watching them we moved ahead and met with Blackbuck, Chital, and Nilgai. Then we took a short break, after which we passed the closed Snake house and 3-D cinema theatre.

On the other side of the path was the Hippopotamus habitat where we found them chilling inside their mud bath. We then passed the closed snake house and 3D cinema theatre and saw Hippos in their mud bath, Crocodiles basking, and energetic juvenile Alligators swimming.

Approaching the exit, we were greeted by monkeys and langurs. The langurs rested in the shade, while the monkeys played in an open area. We took our last break, watched the monkeys play, and decided to leave.

After the zoo tour, our legs were tired and our stomachs hungry. I bought some snacks from hawkers outside the zoo, and then we headed to R.K. Motel on the National Highway for supper before returning home. It was a lovely day, and we enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Dear readers, please stay safe and follow all COVID-appropriate behaviours.