The National Zoological Park (NZP) in New Delhi organized its fourth Butterfly and Dragonfly Walk and fifteenth Sunday Bird Walk as part of efforts to promote citizen participation in biodiversity monitoring and wildlife conservation awareness. The walks were conducted from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM under the guidance of bird expert Sh. Rohit Sharma and butterfly/dragonfly expert Sh. Ramver, along with dedicated volunteers.
The event attracted 15 participants including bird and butterfly enthusiasts, nature lovers, students, wildlife photographers, and citizens interested in biodiversity conservation. Participants documented 47 bird species with observations of more than 750 individual birds, along with 8 butterfly species, 10 dragonfly species, and 5 damselfly species within the walk area. These observations provided valuable field-level information about the rich biodiversity within the National Zoological Park.
Experts shared insights into the ecology, behavior, and conservation of these species, highlighting their ecological roles as pollinators, natural pest controllers, and indicators of ecosystem health. Dr. Sanjeet Kumar, Director of National Zoological Park, emphasized that such nature walks help strengthen field-identification skills, improve understanding of food webs, and foster appreciation for wildlife conservation.
The NZP announced it will celebrate Wildlife Week 2026 from October 2nd to 8th, 2026, featuring a wide range of educational and participatory activities including various nature walks (Tree Walk, Birds Walk, Butterfly and Dragonfly Walk, Spider and Insect Walk, Reptile, Amphibian and Molluscs Walk), competitions (Clay Modeling, Wildlife Poster Making, Debate, Essay Writing, Bird Nest Making, Bird Feeder Making, Leaf Craft, Drawing, Treasure Hunt, Rangoli, Quiz), and expert talks. Online activities including photography competitions, poster making, and quiz activities will also be conducted.
No fees will be charged for any Wildlife Week activity, and free entry to the National Zoological Park will be provided to all participants, their school teachers, accompanying staff, and parents during October 2-8, 2026. Children up to 12 years of age will also receive free entry during this period. The NZP has invited school students from government and private schools across Delhi-NCR to participate in these offline and online activities. Detailed information will be available on the official website and through the NZP Sathi mobile application.
Regular Sunday Nature Walks are limited to 20-25 participants with mandatory prior registration accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through a Google Form available from Monday to Friday each week on the NZP website and mobile app.