Natural mini aviary breathes new life into Chattogram Zoo

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UNB, Chattogram :
More than 3,000-4,000 enthusiastic animal lovers and visitors are coming almost every day to enjoy a wide range of display at Chittagong zoo with the new arrival of six species 342 birds. The number gets double on holidays. During a recent visit, the UNB Correspondent found the enthusiast visitors are enjoying various species of birds displayed in the “Natural Mini Aviary” that opened in recent time for the visitors and bird lovers. Everyday bird lovers, mostly children, are enjoying various species of colourful birds including laughing doves, pheasants, parakeets, cockatiels, and even one pair of macaws.
 Besides, the visitors are also enjoying the existing collection of animals, including lions, crocodile, deer, bear, python, peafowl, tortoise, cock, vulture, turtle, heron, egret, kite, greater adjutant, monkeys, eagle and some other common animals.
Talking to UNB, Chittagong Zoo Executive Committee member secretary and Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ruhul Amin said they have made the new ‘Natural Mini Aviary’ in a bid to draw bird lovers according to the direction by the district administration. Spending all the proceeds that come from ticket sale, the infrastructure of the zoo has been enriched with modern facilities like installing a giant gate, setting up of surveillance cameras in different important points, making a kid zone, internal roads, public toilets, resting seats for the visitors, colouring zoo walls and planting more trees for healthy green environment.
The 60-foot long, 25-foot wide mini aviary was constructed costing Tk 20 lakh and 342 birds of six species have been bought at Tk 14 lakh. Among those species, there 20 pairs of love birds, 50 pairs of laughing doves, 10 pairs of pheasants, 10 pairs of ringneck parakeets, 50 pairs of cockatiels, and one pair of macaws.
Chittagong Zoo Executive Committee President and Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Md Elias Hossain, said, “We’ll bring kangaroo and ostrich from Australia soon. Besides, we’ve a plan to take more space for hilly region.” Meanwhile, they have brought a lion by exchanging it for a lioness from Rangpur Zoo on September 5. A pair of Zebras was brought from South Africa costing Tk 33 lakh on December 9, 2016. Recently, the authorities have added six more Zebra from South Africa costing Tk 48 lakh, he added. Earlier on November 2, the deputy commissioner formally inaugurated the aviary.
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