In a bid to enable people confined to home during the ongoing lockdown to see animals in the zoo here, the West Bengal forest department launched an app through which one can witness various moods of reptiles, mammals and birds, an official said on Friday. Launched by West Bengal Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee, the app will offer a virtual tour of the Alipore Zoological Gardens and contains videos of different animals, he said.

One can get a "360 degree view of the zoo by following a direction to different enclosures" of the zoological garden, he said. "The zoo enjoys high footfalls throughout the year, even during summer season, but we are now going through an unprecedented situation due to the coronavirus outbreak as the zoo never remained closed for such a long time. "This initiative will help refresh mood of the people, especially children, and educate them," the official said.

The website of the zoo has also been updated with sections like adoption process along with forms and details of animals. Apart from Alipore Zoological Gardens, animals of zoos in Darjeeling and Jhargram can also be seen in the virtual tour.