Footfall at the nine zoos of Karnataka has exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 10 per cent.
The visits had dropped by over 70 per cent during the pandemic. The nine zoos of Karnataka and the Karanji lake nature park in Mysuru, coming under Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK), were visited by 65.8 lakh people in the financial year 2022-2023.
Mysuru zoo topper
Out of this, the highest count of visits was to the Mysuru zoo, which drew 30.74 lakh tourists, with most coming from other states and countries.
Mysuru zoo brought in 32 per cent of the total revenue to ZAK, making it the highest-grosser in the state.
Also Read | Zoos play vital role in restoration of lost biodiversity, says Central Zoo Authority official
In total, the nine zoos brought in a revenue of Rs 95.18 crore this year and it is the highest so far.
Officials are attributing this increase in numbers to the diverse range of animals exhibited in zoos, good maintenance, upkeep and awareness.
“Increase in visitors is an indicator that our zoos are well maintained.” says additional principal chief conservator of forests Kumar Pushkar.
The state’s zoos house a total of 5,554 animals, including 146 species of mammals, 67 types of birds and 25 types of reptiles. The zoos also boast of hosting 51 exotic species. With the exception of Davangere and Kalaburagi, all zoos have tigers.
Zoos are also preferred over safaris by tourists, said P Asmitha, a visitor to Mysuru zoo.
“At the safari in Bandipur national park, we get the opportunity of enjoying nature, but may miss out on spotting a variety of animals present in the zoos,” she says.
B P Ravi, member-secretary of ZAK, said development of small-scale zoos and an increase in the number of animal enclosures too have contributed to the higher footfall.
“This has resulted in an increase in revenue in smaller zoos as well,” he says.
In Mysuru zoo, there is potential to increase the visitor count, he said.
“There were no school trips last year. Also, inter-state tourist inflow picked up only after Dasara in Mysuru. Therefore, there is a slight dip in visitors this year compared to pre-pandemic levels,” Ravi said.