More than 5,000 visitors, mostly women and children, thronged Amirthi Zoological Park, located on the outskirts of Vellore Corporation limits, on Sunday and Monday due to the two-day free entry as part of celebrations of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s birthday.

On an average, the zoo registers a footfall of 200-300 visitors every day. “For the two-day event, we had special arrangements including medical help desks, ambulances, additional water taps, and bus services. A large number of sanitary staff were also roped in to keep the premises clean and hygiene,” M. Murugan, Forest Range Officer, Amirthi Zoo, told The Hindu.

Zoo officials said that two pairs of Nilgai antelope, a male leopard and a few reptiles will be brought to the zoo soon as part of an animal exchange programme to create awareness of wild species to visitors.

Three years ago, VOC Park Zoo in Coimbatore gave mugger crocodiles, star tortoises, rat snakes to Amirthi Zoo after the Coimbatore Zoo was closed. In 2019, the zoo got a Sambar deer and a few pelicans from Vandalur Zoo.