During the Durga Puja holidays, we decided to visit Darjeeling. This was one of the most awaited trips in post COVID times. We decided to keep one day to visit Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP), commonly known as Darjeeling Zoo. It stands at an elevation of 7000 feet approximately, making it the largest high-altitude zoo in India. I went there with my mom, dad and my little sister. As we entered, there was a big map with all the directions to the zoo. My sister and I were thrilled to see some rare species of animals and birds. Animals were kept in large enclosures with strong fencing around. We were asked not to make noise and disturb animals with camera flashlights. We saw a variety of deer, of which, the samba deer was the largest of all. Next, we saw a snow leopard moving to and fro, in his wide-open enclosure. Then we spotted Himalayan wolves. We also saw a big black bear sleeping away to glory. But some nasty people were trying to tease him and wake him up for a photograph. Then we saw a wide range of pheasants that were kept in cages. The golden pheasants were the most attractive ones. The major attraction of the zoo was some rare species of red pandas but sadly they were sleeping at that time. We enjoyed looking at the langurs, which were the most active of the lot.
It was an enjoyable day at the zoo. I got to see and learn about so many different animals and birds. I look forward to visiting the zoo once again.
Hrishita Das is a student of Word Munchers, a Kolkata-based creative writing platform.
