Chennai’s Vandalur zoo reopened for visitors on Wednesday after a gap of seven months. The zoo was shut down due to the COVID-19 lockdown imposed across the state since March third week. After its reopening, the entry fee for adults and children has reportedly increased. According to reports, the zoological park increased its entry fee from Rs 75 to Rs 90 for adults and from Rs 35 to Rs 50 for children as it threw its doors open for visitors on Wednesday.

The government of Tamil Nadu had allowed museums, parks, cinema theatres across the state to resume functioning from November 10, and had issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) that are to be followed in each of these places. The zoo had special arrangements in accordance with the SOPs prescribed by the state government, including markings on the ground to ensure adequate physical distance from each other and frequent disinfection of benches and seating areas inside the zoo.

The transportation vehicles inside the zoo, like the golf cart and the safari vehicles, will be allowed to operate only at 50% capacity and wearing a face mask has been made mandatory for all visitors. Though the zoo is open to the visitors, certain areas like the children’s park, aquarium, the walkthrough aviary, the reptile house etc is not open for sightseeing, as per reports. Only 7,000 persons will be allowed per day inside premises, and visitors have been advised to book entry passes online. The zoo authorities have also said that children below the age of 10 will not be allowed inside the zoo.

Several museums and cinema theatres across the state also reopened after months of lockdown on November 10. Precautionary measures like frequent disinfection, wearing of face masks, hand sanitisers and place markers on the floor to indicate where people should stand have been implemented in places.