Vandalur zoo to deploy 130 forest staff, 100 police personnel to handle Pongal rush

Children under 5 years will be given hand tags along with the parents’ phone numbers for safety, say zoo authorities

The Arignar Anna Zoological Park will be open on all days during the Pongal holidays, including January 16. | Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

In anticipation of heavy rush during the Pongal holidays, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Vandalur, will deploy 130 forest staff and 100 police personnel from January 14 to 17 to manage crowds in the zoo.

Children under five years will be given hand tags along with the parents’ phone numbers for safety, zoo authorities said in an official release. Five medical help-desks with ambulance facilities have been set up. Extra shuttle services from the parking lot to the zoo have been arranged as part of the special measures. Additional drinking water and toilet facilities, including bio-toilets, have been set up, the release said. The zoo will be open on all days during the Pongal holidays, including January 16 (Tuesday).