International Tiger Day 2024

Nandankanan Zoological Park celebrated International Tiger Day on 29th July 2024in pursuit to spread awareness about the protection and habitat restoration and the importance of tigers to ecosystems, several programmes such as online awareness quiz, awareness programme at Nandankanan Govt. High School, Keepers Talk, Signature Campaign and a selfie point were organised.

An awareness programme was organised at Nandankanan Govt. High School with 400 students, teachers, Mr Ashish Kumar Paikaray (ACF, Visitor Management), Dr Rajesh Mohapatra (Biologist, NKZP), Mr KhelapriyaSahu (Range Officer, SBG), Mr Jyoti Shankar Mishra (Field Biologist, NKZP), Mr SiddharthBramha (IT Expert, NKZP), Mr AbhijitHota (Asst. Biologist, NKZP), Zoo Keepers and Zoo Volunteers.

The staffs representing Nandankanan along with the teachers educated the students about the importance of tigers, the threats and conservation practices revolving around them followed by the Zoo Ambassador of the school addressing the students about the role of Nandankanan in the conservation of tigers. The Zoo Volunteers then performed a play showing the importance of habitat restoration and conservation breeding. Afterwards the students participated in various games, puzzles and competitions with a message of tiger conservation. A Signature campaign was done at the school to record and spread away the messages of these students and a selfie point was organised for the students to spark an interest among the students.

A Keepers Talk was also organised at school where the tiger keepers interacted with the students to answer their curiosities about tigers and how they are being kept. There was an online quiz competition organised with the aim to convey the message of tiger conservation to a broader part of the community.

All the programmes were well planned by the Education Wing and was executed smoothly by coordination of staffs and zoo volunteers. More such programmes in future will help the younger generation to inculcate sense of nature conservation and coexistence.