A zoo is a place where all kinds of animals are kept for study and for the enjoyment of the people, particularly little children. Zoo means “Zoological Garden”. Zoology is the science of animals.
One of the best zoos in India is the Kevladev Ghana Bird Sanctuary. It has a vast variety of all kinds of birds in a single place in Bharatpur. It is a natural zoo having thousands of different varieties of birds in it. There we find birds ranging from the wily crow to the unsophisticated goose.
The zoo also has the famed Siberian Cranes, but we cannot see them at all time. Used to great colds, they disapprove of the slightest rise in temperature outside and prefer to stay in their air-conditioned cabins. They invariably come to a lake in the morning.
The Kevladev Ghana Bird Sanctuary is about forty miles west of Agra. It is formed by a natural depression of over 7000 acres. It gets filled up with water during the rains. In the day season the area is kept “alive” by letting in water from the Ajan Dam.
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A great part of the forest is covered with Babul and Kandi trees. It is in knee-deep water. It is on these trees that the great majority of non-migratory birds build their nests in the monsoon months. Egrets, Reef Herons, Purple Herons, Cormorants, Darters, Cranes and Storks build together on the same tree.
The Zoo presents very interesting scenes. Sometimes there is a co-ordinate take-off of a thousand birds feeding calmly on the water at the approach of human visitors. If a dreaded falcon comes too close, the entire assembly of ducks, geese, and waders rises up with a whirring of wings which can be heard even a mile away.
The tiger in its majestic walk comes out from his cage only to hide itself-again after seeing the spectators. Its occasional growl just reminds people that it is too dangerous to be very near its cage. The monkeys are more than amusing for their pranks. Some visitors throw eatables before them which there animals relish. The sight of so many kinds of other animals is very pleasing and one hardly desires to take leave of them.