Wondering what the hypes about regarding the latest zoo in town? Well, look no further we’re here to keep you posted!
Bahria Town’s latest attraction is a newly opened up Zoo, going by the name of Dan-zoo. The entrance is such that you are greeted by two large gorillas (statues of course) sitting atop the pillars.
The entry fee is a steep 450 rupees for adults and 250 rupees for children, which is a bit much for just sight-seeing around the zoo. There are extra charges for the additional facilities available, such as boating and the tour bus within the zoo premise. We, however didn’t opt for the tour bus because even though it would make a round trip of the zoo, and make sure all the animals are covered, it would be at a great distance from the actual enclosure and would not make a stop anywhere and we were there to thoroughly enjoy the experience with making the most out of it, so if you want to have the real experience of it, I’d suggest, ditch the tour bus and make the trip on foot!
Our first pit-stop was the bird sanctuary, what enticed us the most was the size of the enclosure; it was huge, with a variety of birds but the number of birds was limited, which I consider a plus point as the space for birds to roam around freely was present along with the different breeds. I believe the first and foremost responsibility of the zoo was the well-being and ease of the animals, which was taken care of thoroughly.
Moving forward, there was a wooden bridge,there was a crocodile pool present underneath it.
Opposite that there was a lake filled with an array of birds, white swans, black swans and ducks alike.
The water was clear and glistening and it all seemed very well maintained.However,there was no feeding facility present, as there is in Karachi Zoo or Hillpark-for the ducks that would allow interactivity between the people and the animals. If such a facility will be available it would attract a major chunk of the children and would be beneficial at both ends.
Moving past this, there was a long route present which we had to take. This area included all the bigger enclosures, many were double caged, an additional barrier was added ahead of the cage, if the animal was deemed ‘Dangerous’. There were ample of signboards present at every nook and corner. They were written in two languages, Urdu and English. Alongside every cage there was a signboard which provided relevant information regarding the animal, this included: Scientific name of the animal, native, habitat, life span, conservation status, feed, interesting facts. At the lower corner, there is a world map present as well, which highlight’s the region of the world the animal belongs to and resides in.
The array of animals, present in the zoo are:Peacocks, Red deer, Bengal Tiger, White Lion, Zebra, Llama, Lion, Monkeys, Ostrich, Leopard, Girrafes, Puma.Take a look below,we’ve captured them all.
The white lion, Bengal tiger, Leopards and Puma each had a pair of the two present in their respective cages. Whereas the African Lions had 3 pairs present in a much larger enclosure.All were given names,which the aimals,surprisngly seemed to be responding to,we went in the early evening when it was time for their food,we were able to experience the whole rocess through which they are fed these carnivores are fed.
The carnivorous animals whose sole diet was meat had double barriers present, and there was a signboard present stating ‘Dangerous Animal’; the visitors were hence kept at a safe distance from them.
Two things which really caught my eye, were :Firstly, the immaculate signboards present at every nook and corner creating awareness amongst all Zoo-goers and secondly the spick and span condition of the zoo and all the enclosures, from the animal feed to the habitat they belonged to, provided within the cages, by replicating it to their abilities of giving the animal a natural habitat. Health and hygiene were taken special care of. These are all positive steps being taken towards establishing a top-standard day and night zoo facility.
There were numerous grasslands,and sprinklers present which kept giving them a fresh supply of water every few hours.Trees were also planted,which would soon bloom and bear fruit.
Other facilities available were water cycle,ride,buggy ride,boat ride within the zoo premise in a separated area, and the tour bus which had additional charges if they were to be availed. The prices for this however were fairly nominal.
Flocks of people kept coming in, despite the sweltering summer heat, come evening, families started pouring in adults and children alike,clearly depicting that the Pakistani population is really pulled towards such areas as a means of sight-seeing.
At this pace,the Zoo is surely going to become well renowned in no time!
