INDORE: Assembled at 6:30 in the morning at the Indore zoo, as many as 99 Indoreans enjoyed the serene zoo environment while riding on cycles on Saturday.
In a regular scenario, cycles are prohibited inside the zoo campus. While the visitors can explore the Indore zoo on foot, or get ferried around in a motored vehicle. Nonetheless, to mark the Wildlife week celebration a Cyclothon was organized by Animal Rehabilitation and Protection Front (ARPF) in association with Indore Zoo.
“I’ve mostly witnessed animals sleeping. But, as we had come quite early, they were all wide awake watching us intently,” said 61-year-old Mohammad Yusuf who happened to be the senior most among the lot and was astound to witness the animals wide awake.
The Cyclothon which included ride inside the campus was from zoo to Regional park and back to zoo.
Wildlife week is celebrated each year in the first week of October, the mega event is designed such as to involve general public to the cause of wildlife conservation.
During the wildlife week, various competitions, expert sessions, awareness shows, etc will be held on the topic ‘Wildlife’ till October 7.
Zoo curator and education officer, Nihar Parulekar said that all the Covid-19 precautionary measures were taken during all the activities. Moreover, the participants had to show the proof of at least one dose of vaccination too.
The clay and photography competitions which were organised on the first day too witnessed a good crowd especially from the younger kids as the youngest participant happened to be a four year old in the Cyclothon.
Five year old, Naisha Dua who participated in the clay moulding competition was extremely excited to participate in a competition for the first time amidst the pandemic.
“I was planning to make a cat but as I had recently made Lord Ganesha with the help of clay, I decided to make an elephant,” she said.
