New Delhi Zoo Review

This weekend I went to the Delhi Zoo, and really enjoyed watching the animals playing about in their enclosures. As it was quite hot, the zoo was pretty empty, and I could see the animals properly without being pushed around by the burgeoning crowd.

The entry ticket was Rs.20 for adults, Rs.10 for children, and Rs. 100 for cameras. I had a mobile phone camera, and as that didn't count as a camera, I did not take the camera ticket. Bags and food are not allowed in the zoo, and people have to deposit them in the baggage area. I had only taken a small purse, so I did not have to deposit my bag.The Delhi Zoo is closed on Fridays, so don't plan any zoo adventure on that day.

Some of the animals I saw at the Delhi Zoo were deer, rhinos, hippos, white tiger, babbar lion, giraffe, sloth bear, black himalayan bear,  fox, jackal, reindeer, black bucks, langurs, neel gai, bison, cheetal deer, civet cat, jaguar, panther (yellow) and elephants (indian and african). I really liked the giraffe, it was amazingly tall and had a pretty pattern on its fur.

Some of the birds I saw in the Delhi zoo were ducks, white swans,parrots, cockatoos, parakeets, pariah kites, Himalayan eagles, cocks and hens, white peacocks, green peacocks, guinea fowls, pelicans, emus and storks.

Food: People are not allowed to take eatables in the Delhi zoo; which is a good thing, because some idiots poison the animals, while some may give them rubbish to eat. There are small stalls around the zoo selling water, cold drinks and ice-cream. No eatables are available anywhere, to prevent people from feeding crap to the animals, and dirtying the enclosures. The only animals that can be fed are the deer. Just pluck some leaves from a nearby tree and feed them. If you are silent enough, they'll come and eat out of your hand.

Transport: Small mini-vans are available to take people around the Delhi zoo, if they don't wanna walk. However, these vans go really fast and miss some of the enclosures. Hence, I chose to walk around the zoo, and see the animals at my leisure. There are arrows marking a trail in the ground, but these arrows were not numbered and were too confusing. I saw arrows everywhere, got confused, and then followed my own path.

What I didn't like about the Delhi Zoo: Some people were trying to irritate the animals in the Delhi Zoo, especially wild animals, like the jaguar. The double cage usually present around the jaguar's enclosure was missing, and an idiot (presumably, from a village in Bihar or UP), was dangling a handkerchief in front of the jaguar's face, saying 'pakad...gadha ka bacha' (catch...son of a donkey). The smart jaguar was able to put his paws outside the cage, and could easily have grabbed the man's hand, and dragged his hand in....that would have been quite a scene.

What I liked about the Delhi Zoo: Animals like monkeys and peacocks were left to roam about freely, and not caged. It would be great if the Delhi zoo would allow other animals, like elephants and camels, to be viewed out of their enclosures. They could offer elephant or camel rides in the zoo, or else simple photo opportunities. However, these rides should be offered a distance from the wild animal enclosures, or else the elephant or camel may freak out, whenever a wild animal roars. I also liked the signboards on the trees, and the landscaping work.

Toilets: There are some toilets around the Delhi zoo, but the ladies toilet was locked. I later had to use the big toilet outside the zoo. Unfortunately, this toilet did not have a single mirror.

Do you like visiting zoos? Have you been to the New Delhi Zoo? What was your experience there?