Families of Children visited Peshawar Zoo in droves to various wild animals and big cats during the Eidul Fitr holidays. Not only the residents of Peshawar, rather families from Kohat, Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi, Mohmand and Khyber districts also arrived in large number and took keen interest in different types of wild animals mostly in African tigers, cobra snake, lions and zarafa on this occasion.
The children and students inquired different questions from wildlife experts and zoo managers about habitats and habits of animals besides food arrangements for them. The zoo officials told children that sufficient food is available for animals round the clock and there was no shortage in this regard. They urged visitors not to throw food or stone towards wild animals and cooperate with them in keeping the zoo neat and clean.
The children were told that zoo is not merely providing a space for entertainment, rather is also a big source of research and study for students of wildlife and zoology who otherwise have to travel to federal capital Islamabad and Lahore for this purpose in the past for research purposes in the past. The facility would help save time and money of the families being spent while going to other districts and provinces for research works.
Peshawar Zoo has been established on vast area of 29 acres land near Pakistan Forest Institute and University of Peshawar by the previous PTI Government and since then remained a great source of recreation and entertainment for Peshawarits. Peshawar Zoo is bigger than all other zoos of Pakistan wherein almost all species of wild animals and birds existing in the country have been caged in natural habitats.
Aslam Khan, a visitor from Nowshera said that he has heard a lot about African tigers, lions, cobra snake and today my dreams of seeing these wild animals was materialized after visiting Peshawar Zoo. He termed the establishment of Peshawar Zoo a big recreational facility for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general especially for Peshawar and a source of information and research for students of Zoology, wildlife and other applied sciences.
Another visitor said that the zoo had enhanced beauty of Peshawar and become a symbol of entertainment and recreation for people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, he complained that ticket is relatively high and suggested exemption of children from the ticket. Construction work on more cadges and other facilities were in progress that after completion more animals would be brought to Peshawar Zoo.