Nandankanan magic

KANCHI KOHLI
The Nandankanan Biological Park is an extension of the Chandaka forests. So, animals get to live in their natural surroundings

As I sit at the tourist bungalow overlooking the Kanjia Lake at Nandankanan Biological Park , I dream several realities. I become one amongst the many storks who have made the natural habitat of the Park their home for breeding. I draw calm with the idea of living dormant like the crocodile I see sunk into its muddy corner.

The Nandankanan Biological Park is located within 20 kilometres from Bhubaneshwar city nestled just as an extension of the Chandaka forests. What makes this Park different is that those involved in its management have ensured that the natural surrounds are retained. The enclosures for the range of mammals, reptiles, avifauna is visibly as close to what it could be in the wild. Of course, this is arguably within the constraints of the space and mandates of a zoo.

What this also manages to do is give visitors a sense of what would be the habitat of a particular animal in the wild. Sure, this is no replacement of the magic of watching a tiger mark his or her territory in the wild, but to see the sheen on the stripes match that of its wild cousin sure speaks highly of the biological park. I've often seen tigers much duller in badly managed enclosures.

Wild is real

As I walk with my ‘appointed' guide for the day, who is otherwise a wildlife researcher, we get a real life incident of how wild the zoo is. I am reveling in the damp smell of the vegetation and hear a ruffle. It turns out that a common monitor lizard had gotten stuck in the fence. It did not seem to be a resident of the side of the Park where we were, and was clearly recognised as being “wild” by my guide. Being an expert in rescuing reptiles he instinctively used his skills to free the trapped entity.

Even though established in 1960, I learnt during my visit that the magic of Nandankanan Park had come alive in the last three to four years, before which it was just another zoo. Being there in the monsoons added to the fun. The terrain was vibrant and there was a riot of green. Nandankanan gave me a touch of the wild, despite being in a managed environment.

In collaboration with Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group