CHD ,2 October
Chhatbir: Wildlife Week 2026 celebrations at the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, Chhatbir, began with an early-morning cyclothon aimed at promoting wildlife conservation and environmentally responsible living.
Titled ‘Ride for the Wild’, the event was organised in collaboration with Cyclegiri under the theme ‘Connecting Habitats, Thriving Wildlife’.
The cyclothon began at Sohana Lights, where participants assembled before the ride was flagged off at 6 am. Cyclists passed through IISER Lights and Rajpura/Airport Lights before reaching Chhatbir Zoo at around 7.10 am. On arrival, participants interacted with zoo staff before a second flag-off marked the start of a cycling round inside the zoo.
Nalin Yadav, IFS, Field Director, Chhatbir Zoo, honoured special invitees and winners and introduced the zoo’s executive staff. In his address, he highlighted the importance of connecting wildlife habitats and promoting conservation through community participation.
The event also recognised participants for their contribution to the conservation message.
Shahzad, 9, from Solan, won the Best Dressed award after appearing as a toucan and reciting a poem on wildlife conservation. Seema Malhotra, 65, received the second theme-dressed award.
A special honour was presented to Ekamjot Kaur, 13, from Patiala, who was recognised for planting more than 12,000 trees. Her achievement has been recorded in the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records.
The programme was coordinated by Akshit Passi and Dr Sunaina Bansal of Cyclegiri, who also conducted an interactive, quiz-based discussion on wildlife and conservation for the cyclists.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Harpal Singh, PRO (Wildlife) and Zoo Education Officer, who expressed gratitude to the participants and collaborating organisations for supporting wildlife awareness and sustainable living.
