A Visit to The Zoo

Animals are part and parcel of the environment when they live in their wild state. But man has obtained mastery over all of them. He has domesticated some of them. He has trained some of them for circus purposes and he keeps some others of them in cages for his amusement. Thus man must be grateful to animals for more than one reason.

When one visits Delhi and has got some spare time, one cannot help visiting the zoo—The Zoological Park as it is called. This is what happened to me when I visited Delhi during my last summer vacation. My uncle, who lives in Delhi, took me to the zoo on Sunday. The zoo is situated on Mathura Road, adjacent to the Purana Quila. The zoo in Delhi is one of the biggest in India. It spreads over many acres of land and inhabits a vast variety of birds and animals. They are kept in their natural habitat as far as possible.

My uncle bought two tickets at the gate and we went in. The first creatures we saw were the swans swimming in pools of crystal clear water. Seeing their strange swimming habits we were amused. Next, we saw a piece of land surrounded by ditches full of water. Some birds were swimming and diving in the ditches. But some others were sitting in the branches of the trees growing on the mass land. We were told that they were migratory birds and visited India every year during the summer. Hopping colorful sparrows kept in cages were very amusing. No less amusing was the high-necked ostrich, the largest bird in the world.

To the children, the maximum entertainment was provided by the monkeys. The children teased them and they jumped here and there. But they readily accepted parched grams from the visitors. Animals like zebras, rhinoceroses, wild boars, wolves, and foxes were also a source of amusement. I, however, liked the chimpanzee and the white lions in particular. Some people found favor with animals like crocodiles and hippopotamuses. The elephant ride was an added amusement to most of the children.

I saw numerous new birds and animals which were previously not known to me. Many of them had been brought from foreign countries. Thus the visit was to me not only a source of amusement but also of instruction.