Riders rally for conservation with wildlife week cyclothon at Chhatbir

As part of the Wildlife Week celebrations, an awareness campaign was organised to support the eco-friendly activities. The event kicked off with a cyclothon, “Ride for the Wild”.

Chhatbir zoo collaborated with the cycling enthusiasts group Cyclegiri for the cyclothon, which was flagged off from Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan, Sohana traffic light point, at 6 am. The cyclists reached the zoo around 6.40 am and took a ride inside the complex.

More than 200 cyclists from all across Tricity participated in the event aimed to spread a message of wildlife conservation.

Chhatbir zoo Field Director Arun Kumar and his team, including Zoo Education Officer Harpal Singh, organised a special interactive session on wildlife conservation.

This year’s theme for the Wildlife week is “Human-Wildlife Coexistence”. One of the riders, Nikita Rajput, decorated her cycle with wildlife protection slogans. Naina Bansal and Akshit from Cyclegiri, meanwhile, organised a quiz.

A zoo keeper also delivered a talk on elephants and shared his experiences as a “mahawat”.

Around 17,000 people visited the zoo on the day. The Field Director said the team was ready to handle big crowds during the Wildlife week, adding, “All amenities are being maintained with full passion and our staff is also vigilant to ensure the animals’ healthcare and visitor safety.”