REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- More than 10,500 people visited the Surabaya Zoo on the occasion of Islamic New Year on Wednesday.

The figure was normal for a holiday as the number of visitors on any holiday in the past invariably exceeded 10,000, spokesman for the zoo, Ryan Adi Djauhari, said here on Wednesday.

"The number of visitors on ordinary days may range from 6,000 to 6,500," he said.

During the holiday this time, the management of the zoo did not organize any show. "Everything is as usual. Yet, the public's enthusiasm to visit the zoo remains high. This is because the zoo serves as a family tourist site with an affordable ticket of Rp15,000," he said.

Shortly before the ticket counters were opened at 08.00 a.m. local time, there was a long queue for entrance tickets. The parking lot was also packed with motorcycles, he said.

As a result, many motorcycles were parked along the road leading to the zoo, he said.

Regional government-owned Perusahaan Daerah Taman Satwa (PTDS), which manages the zoo, had earlier proposed a hike in the price of the entrance ticket, in view of the rising operating cost of the zoo which has 210 different species of animals.

The operating cost of the zoo has reached Rp1.7 billion per year, while its annual income stands at Rp1.6 billion. Almost 92 percent of the income comes from entrance tickets' sales.

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