Zoo is a place where all sorts of tame and wild animals are kept. There are birds and beasts which tell us about the flora and fauna of our country as well as foreign countries. It is in this respect a giver of knowledge and information. Delhi zoo is housed in the Purana Kila on the Mathura Road. It has a fine and rare collection of birds and animals from all parts of the world. The zoo is spread over several acres of land. The birds and animals are kept, as far as possible, in their natural surroundings. There is a moat encircling the enclosures of wild animals so that they might not escape.
One day I went to the zoo in the company of some of my friends. We bought tickets at the gate, and entered the zoo. First we came upon the enclosure where water fowls were swimming in water. The ducks and drakes were swimming and picking up things thrown to them. We enjoyed their playful antics for some time and moved on.
Next we came to the enclosure of the wild animals. There were lions, tigers, and leopards belonging to different countries. The Gir lion of India seemed to be most ferocious. The enclosures smelt of meat, provided to them everyday.
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In another enclosure were the monkeys. They too, were of several varieties. The ape with a black face seemed to be the most mischievous. He was all the time grinning at the onlookers. The visitors threw parched grams to the monkeys and they seemed to relish it. At a small distance we saw a peacock. It was dancing. I ran to that side. The peacock seemed td be unmindful of the presence of the crowd.
Closeby was an enclosure for the deer. It covered a vast area and the deer were roaming about freely- Near to the enclosure we saw a buffalo-like animal. It was the rhino munching some maize plants. It looked dreadful with its sharp horn on the nose. The sight of the rhino at once reminded me of the adventure of Colonel White as given in our text-book of English.
On our way back we saw some elephants. They were being used for a joy-ride on payment. Lastly, we saw the covered enclosures where birds were flying about. They were of different colours and shapes. Now it was getting dark. The bell rang and we came out. The visit to the zoo added a good deal to our knowledge of birds and beasts.