Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, also known as Gazipur Safari Park is one of the very few places where you can see animals in their natural habitat. It is a heaven for animal lovers as nowhere will you get the opportunity to see so many beautiful animals in one place.
Let's start from the beginning. Going there is pretty easy. Take a bus to Gazipur and you'll reach Bagher Bazar. From there you can reach Gazipur Safari park by taking an autorickshaw.
After entering you will notice that the park is filled with greenery and there's a big map of the whole place. Once inside you will find two paths going in opposite directions. The right one leads to the actual safari and the left one has lots of small enclosures you can visit.
At first let's go on the safari ride. In weekends the line for getting on the safari bus may feel never-ending but the wait will seem worthwhile once you see all the majestic animals.
Once you get on the bus the real journey begins. It takes you through a series of jungle areas separated by gates each containing different kinds of species. At first we saw the giraffes and zebras. They were roaming around and just enjoying their leisure time. Then we entered the enclosure of the bisons; they are not enormous but not larger than deer.
There were monkeys as well, just sitting around in groups and going on with their lives. Next was the bear enclosure. There were a few black bears in a distance but they were too far to have a good view. After that we entered the lion enclosure. There were a few lions in a distant shade taking an afternoon nap.
It is interesting seeing so many animals in one place, leading their ordinary life rather than being shackled in cages. The next enclosure was the best one --- the Royal Bengal Tiger. We entered the enclosure thinking we might see a few tigers in the distance like the lions but what we encountered was a view people cherish their whole life.
At first we could not spot any tigers but suddenly we saw a huge tiger approaching from the elusive tufts of long green grass. It kept coming near the bus until it was right next to our window. We were mesmerized at the sight since it was a rare occasion indeed as animals do not usually come so near to vehicles
Unlike other tigers in our zoos this one looked well fed and healthy. To me it seemed like a big cat, harmless, friendly but more than anything it was the most majestic creature I have ever seen.
The journey came to an end after seeing a few more animals. Each enclosure was secured with large metal doors and the security system there is commendable. Now it was time for visiting all the other exhibits.
Going left from the main entrance you will see many enclosures including the bird show gallery, parrot aviary, butterfly garden, aquarium, orchid house, children park etc.
There was a museum of animals and birds which was very interesting. There were many taxidermied animals we only heard names of but never saw ourselves.
Then we went on to the bird cages. The best thing about the bird cages are that you can actually enter the cages yourself and watch the birds from close distance. The bird show gallery and the parrot aviary has so many birds which will enchant you with their beauty and colours.
Moving on to the butterfly garden you will see a few butterflies, but as it is an ongoing project there are not as many butterflies as one would expect. Advancing to the aquarium you can see many different varieties of fishes adorned with vibrant colours.
Continuing the journey you will reach the orchid house which has a collection of some beautiful and uncommon orchids. Then there is the egg world which has a rare collection of eggs of birds and animals.
Then there are some open enclosures of snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, wallaby, horse and a few more enclosures. Along with all these there is a large carp garden which is basically a small lake with numerous white, orange and grey coloured fishes swimming around.
Also, there are swans and ducks roaming around in the duck garden. I saw black swans for the first time in my life and they are mesmerizing.
There are even more birds in a distant corner but sadly they are all caged. You can see many huge storks, beautiful peacocks and mighty hornbills in those cages.
After visiting all these you can enjoy an elephant ride and refresh yourself with some food in the small canteen.
One of the things that caught my mind was the cordial behaviour of all the staff and the well organized navigating system. There are plenty of signboards all around the park to show you which road leads where. Also, all the exhibits are very well designed and beautifully decorated. Moreover, this is one of the most organized, neat and clean tourist exhibit I have ever visited.
Gazipur Safari Park is one of the few places in Bangladesh where you can see animals in their natural habitat. Only here you can truly gain the experience of seeing animals without putting them in cages.
Expense
n Entry fee for adults: 50 BDT
For kids: 20 BDT Foreign visitors: $5 or Bangladeshi currency (450 BDT)
n Safari by AC Bus for Adult: 100 BDT
For Kids: 50 BDT
n Bird show gallery, aquarium, parrot aviary combined pass: 70 BDT.
n Museum entry fee: 20 BDT
n Paddle Boat riding: 50 BDT
n Small amount of entry fees of 10-20 BDT to enter other exhibits
