Chattogram Zoo bustling with visitors drawn by white tigers and hippos
It’s not just Chattogram Zoo. The city's main entertainment venues, like Foy's Lake, Sea World (water park), DC Park, Patenga Beach, Shadhinota Park, and Butterfly Park, are swarming with thousands of visitors
Padma, Meghna, Halda, Sangu.
Although these are the names of some of the Bangladeshi rivers, in Chattogram Zoo, they are the white tigers.
The port city zoo is now home to 17 tigers, including six male tigers and 11 tigresses. Among them are five white tigers. The fifth one who didn't get the name of a river is Shubhra.
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The white tigers have been the main attraction in Chattogram Zoo during this year's Eid and Pahela Baishakh holidays.
Moreover, a pair of hippopotamuses added last year has also caught visitors' attention during the Eid holidays.
Since this is their first Eid in Chattogram Zoo, they have become another major draw. From the day of Eid, the visitor count has surged to almost six times the usual, turning this zoo into a bustling entertainment hub in the city.
"The zoo normally sees around 3,000 visitors. On the day of Eid [11 April], around 12,800 people visited, and on the second day of Eid [12 April], the number reached 18,200. On 13 April 13, the count was 16,600," said Shahadat Hossain Shubh, deputy Curator of Chattogram Zoo
"The extreme heat meant fewer visitors in the morning, but in the afternoon, there was hardly any space to stand. We are struggling to manage the extra pressure. We had to hire 13 additional staff members temporarily to handle the rush during Eid," he added.
Tasnuva Sharmin, a school student, said, "I really liked seeing the hippopotamuses and white tigers. The zoo has been decorated beautifully compared to before."
It's not just Chattogram Zoo. The city's main entertainment venues like Foy's Lake, Sea World (water park), DC Park, Patenga Beach, Shadhinota Park, and Butterfly Park are swarming with thousands of visitors.
Due to the continuous holidays of Eid and Pahela Baishakh, these entertainment spots are now so crowded that they can barely accommodate any more visitors.
"From the day after Eid, there has been a surge of visitors at Foy's Lake, Sea World, and Foy's Lake Base Camp. On the second day of Eid, 12 April, there were 6,000 visitors and on 13 April, there were 7,000," said Biswajit Ghosh, an official at Foy's Lake Amusement Park.
"Due to the heat, Sea World has seen the highest number of visitors. The 40-room Foy's Lake Resort is fully booked for the next three days," he added.
In Chattogram city, places along the riverline of Karnaphuli such as Abhayamitra Ghat, Boat Club, Naval Area, Patenga Beach, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, Anowar Parki Beach, DC Park, Well Agro Park, Matita, Cafe 24, and Bhatiyari Sunset Point are overflowing with visitors.
As evening approaches, these scenic spots start bustling with crowds.
The situation is similar in parks and entertainment venues in various upazilas. Even the severe heat hasn't deterred travel enthusiasts.
In Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram, sites like Khoiyachora Waterfall, Napittachora Waterfall, Mahamaya Eco Park, Arshi Nagar Future Park, Hillsdale Multi Farm, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City, and its adjacent beaches have been lively with visitors since Eid day.
"From the afternoon of Eid day, there has been a flood of visitors. We are seeing three to four times the usual number of people," said Nasir Uddin Didar, owner of Arshi Nagar Future Park in Mirsarai Upazila.
"The part normally receives between 1,500 and 2,000 visitors on a regular day, but from Eid day to 13 February, we have seen between 8,000 and 9,000 visitors each day. The park is also hosting Eid reunions for various organisations," he added,
On Friday (12 April), hundreds of visitors crowded to see the deer farm at Hillsdale Multi Farm in Korerhat. The park spread over 31 acres, includes a collection of hundreds of species of trees, flowers, horses, pheasants (titir), peacocks, and other animals and birds, which the tourists are exploring.
Visitors from Chattpgram and nearby districts have also come to Mahamaya Eco Park to enjoy the country's second-largest artificial lake. Various batch-based and social organisations are organising daily gatherings and Eid reunions there.
Similarly, Guliakhali Beach and Shahasradhara Waterfall in Sitakunda, along with various tea gardens in Fatikchhari and Sheikh Russel Aviary Park in Rangunia, have been popular destinations for visitors during the Eid holidays.
