The century-old Mysuru zoo, a prominent tourist attraction in the city, was reopened on Friday and welcomed 4,922 visitors. Around 5,000 people visited the zoo on the same day last year.
The zoo was closed on December 28 following the death of a few birds and a suspected outbreak of avian influenza. The zoo authorities then sent two sets of samples of bird droppings to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and after the examination at the institute, it was confirmed that the deaths were not due to avian influenza.
The director of Animal Husbandry, Government of Karnataka, based on the lab reports, certified that the zoo was free of avian influenza, thus paving the way for its reopening.
On Friday, various organisations, including the Hotel Owners’ Association, and Zoo Authority of Karnataka chairperson Mallige Veeresh welcomed the visitors by distributing sweets.
Kamala Karikalan, executive director of the zoo, said precautionary measures were taken by spraying a disinfectant from January 4. She said disinfectant worth of ₹2 lakh has been sprayed till date to ensure the safety of animals in the zoo. She said the zoo authorities were more concerned about the well-being of the animals, staff and the tourists than the gate collection.
Ms. Karikalan also said 74 births took place in the zoo between July 2016 to Jan 2017, with animals such as black duck, grey Indian wolf, wild dogs, four-horned antelope, Thamin deer and Sambar giving birth to young ones.
