Fri 13 Feb 2009
Last Sunday I was all alone at home. I was feeling lonely and bored. Therefore I decided to visit the zoo. I took my bag and packed it with snacks, some other eatables, the water bottle and a camera. Then I took a bus and reached the Red Fort. From there I took another bus hich dropped me at the zoo. The zoo is near the Old Fort in the Mathura road. There was huge crowd of the visitors from Delhi and other states. A couple of public school-children were also there. There was much hustle and bustle outside the zoo. It looked like a small fair.
I bought the entrance ticket and entered the zoological garden. A big and flat ground covered with bright red sand led me to a few steps and then followed a level ground. As I walked farther I saw a big python lying on the straws. It was quite motionless and looked like dead. It was enjoying the morning sun. In the next cage were big and very colourful parrots. They were from Africa. In front was a big circular lake. It was full of ducks, swans, cranes, herons, flamingoes and other water birds. Many of the birds were busy making nests on the thorny trees growing on its banks. They were producing a chorus of their sounds and cries unconcerned with the visitors. A couple of swan looked very majestic while swimming and sporting in water.
Next we visited an enormous and open enclosure. In it were various types of deer, stags and a number of cranes. In another corner of the enclosure were kangaroos. They jumped here and there in a typical way. They were from Australia.
I took some photographs before moving to the next enclosures. In it there were owls, pigeons, parrots, mains, bulbuls, rots, peacocks, eagles and sparrows. They were of many kinds, sizes and colours. They produced enchanting and sweet music. Then I retired to a secluded corner to enjoy refreshment which I had with me. I took some rest and went to the next enclosure.
This was the section of wild animals. There were tigers, leopards, bears, lions, monkeys, zebras etc. They were in separate cages and enclosures. The white tiger, found only in India, was very interesting. There was a big crowd before the lion’s den. A lion and lioness were moving restlessly in the small area of their enclosure. It was open to the sky. The leopards also attracted a large crowd. There was a panther as well.
But the cages of monkeys and apes drew the largest crowd. They were of many types. Chimpanzee showed many tricks. So did the spider monkey with his very thin limbs, body and a long tail. A black and small monkey from Africa produced shrill, long and strange crises to the delight of children. People were throwing nuts, parched grams etc into their cages. I gave a banana to the chimpanzee.
The large trench with iron enclosure had one-horned shino. It was from the forests of Assam. I was told that its skin was very tough and even a bullet could not pierce it. It looked very big, heavy and tough. Even a tiger could not dare to go near it.
There were many more interesting enclosures. But I felt tired and so decided to return home. The zoo is so vast that it is not possible to cover all the sections and cages in one visit. I again relaxed for some time on the soft green grass and enjoyed eating snacks and drinking a bottle of cold drink. I came out and boarded a bus taking me to the Red Fort. From there, I took another bus and reached home in the evening.
My mother had returned from Jaipur by then with my younger sister. She offered me tea and some special sweets brought from Jaipur. I found them very delightful. Moreover, I was feeling hungry. I told my little sister about the zoo and various interesting animals and birds. She wanted to visit the zoo herself. I promised to take her the next time. It immensely pleased her. It was really a delightful, educative and memorable experience.
