The Central Zoo in Jawalakhel has been reopened after eight months of a closure due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Visitors will be allowed into the zoo by following health safety guidelines as the infection risks still persist, said Dr Chiranjibi Pokharel, chief of the zoo management.

Visitors are required to wear facemasks and they are not allowed to eat and feed the animals inside the Zoo.

Likewise, the number of visitors inside the Zoo should not exceed 800 and a person can spend up to two and a half hours inside it.

There are a total of 1,068 animals of 110 species in the Zoo. It has 15 of 38 rare animals said to be on the verge of disappearance from Nepal.

Entry fee is Rs 750 each for foreigners, Rs 500 each for people within the SAARC countries, Rs 150 each for Nepali people and Rs 90 each for Nepali students and senior citizens. Approximately 1.1 million people visited the Zoo annually, from which Rs 150 to Rs 160 million was collected in entry fees. Visitors can book tickets online, relieving them of staying in a queue for hours for the same.