Virtual Kolkata zoo tour for people at home during lockdown

The West Bengal forest department has launched an app to help people take a virtual tour of the zoo here, in an effort to keep them at home during the ongoing lockdown, an official said on Friday. Launched by state forest minister Rajib Banerjee on Thursday, the app contains videos of different animals and captures various moods of reptiles, mammals and birds, he said.

One can get a "360 degree view of the Alipore Zoological Garden by following a direction to different enclosures" of the zoo, the official said. The zoo has remained closed since March 17 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

"The zoo witnesses high footfalls throughout the year, even during summer season, but we are now going through an unprecedented situation due to the coronavirus outbreak as the zoo never remained closed for such a long time. "This initiative will help refresh mood of the people, especially children, and educate them," the official said.

People can have a glimpse of all the animals except new guests in the zoo through the app. Details of all the animals are also available on the digital platform, he said.

Established in 1876, the Alipore zoo presently houses 1,100 wild animals including tiger, lion, leopard, elephant, zebra, giraffe and birds, its director Ashis Kumar Samanta said. The website of the zoo has also been updated with sections like adoption process along with forms and details of animals.

Apart from the Alipore Zoological Garden, animals of zoos in Darjeeling and Jhargram can also be seen in the virtual tour. The Alipore zoo authority has decided to enhance regular checking of big cats and strict implementation of safety norms after a tiger had tested positive for COVID-19 at a zoological garden in New York.