Around 80,000 visitors gathered at the Bangladesh National Zoo in the capital’s Mirpur area on Eid day.
The zoo’s director, Rafiqul Islam Talukdar, confirmed the information to Prothom Alo on Saturday evening.
He said that approximately 80,000 people visited the zoo that day, adding that the number could increase on Sunday if the weather remains favourable.
The zoo houses 3,523 animals of 137 species, including Bengal tigers, black bears, hyenas, elephants, hippopotamuses, kangaroos, pythons, gharials, and ostriches.
On the ground, large crowds of visitors were seen throughout the zoo. People came from Dhaka and nearby districts—some with families, others with friends, as well as many young couples.
Some strolled around observing the animals, while others took selfies or photos and videos. Many also posed for pictures against the zoo’s natural backdrop. In this way, visitors shared the joy of Eid with their loved ones.
Omar Faruk, who works at a private company in Savar, was resting near the giraffe enclosure with his wife and child after walking around the zoo.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said their hometown is in Dinajpur, but they did not travel there this Eid. His four-year-old son, Al Imran, had never visited the zoo before nor seen so many animals. That is why they chose to spend Eid day visiting the zoo as a family.
When asked whether he had seen a giraffe, Al Imran replied, “Look, there’s a giraffe behind you.”
He added that he had seen tigers, lions, ostriches, snakes, and many other animals. He had previously seen them only on a mobile phone, so he was very happy to see them in real life.
“Look at this donkey, a donkey!”—saying this, Happy Akter lifted her four-year-old daughter, Humayra Islam, so she could see the animal more clearly.
After showing her daughter the donkey, Happy said they had come together as a family of seven from Mirpur-1 in the capital. The donkey is a familiar animal, she said, but not commonly seen.
She added that her daughter had seen a donkey once before but likely did not remember it, which is why she showed it to her again.
Four young men—Rifat Ahmed, Md Milon, Md Shipon, and Md Rakibul—from Munshiganj also visited the zoo together. They are friends from the same area but live in different places. As they reunited during Eid, they decided to come for a visit.
Rifat Ahmed told Prothom Alo that they arrived at the zoo around 1:00 pm. He had never been there before and was happy to visit with friends on Eid and see the animals.