Tirupati Zoo Hikes Entry Fees For Adults, Children
the increase affects families visiting the zoo, particularly those travelling by car and bringing children along: Reports
TIRUPATI: Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Tirupati has hiked entry fees for adults and children and increased charges for four wheelers, a move likely to burden families visiting the wildlife park.
The revised rates have come into effect from Wednesday. Entry fee for adults has been increased from ₹70 to ₹100 and for children from ₹30 to ₹50. Four wheeler entry charges have been raised from ₹750 to ₹1,000. The cloakroom fee has gone up from ₹10 to ₹15 per bag.
the increase affects families visiting the zoo, particularly those travelling by car and bringing children along. A family of two adults and two children arriving in a four wheeler will now pay ₹1,300 for entry tickets and vehicle charges, against ₹950 earlier, an increase of ₹350 per visit.
The 16th governing body meeting of the Zoo Authority of Andhra Pradesh approved the revision in fee. Zoo officials said the additional revenue would meet expenditure on animal care, nutritious feed, veterinary services, enclosure maintenance, and visitor amenities.
Higher vehicle charges are intended to regulate traffic inside the premises and reduce noise and air pollution.
The nearly 67 per cent hike in children’s entry fees is significant, given the zoo’s role in promoting wildlife and conservation awareness among young visitors. The increased tariffs could make family outings more expensive, particularly for visitors from other districts who also incur transport and food expenses.
“The zoo should have considered keeping the children’s tickets affordable," said M. Sai Prasanna, a frequent visitor to the zoo.
However, zoo authorities have retained the concessional entry fee of ₹10 per child for government school students to encourage educational visits and promote wildlife conservation awareness.