New Delhi, Dec 21 : After connecting children with the wildlife for two consecutive days, the 6th Krackerjack Karnival, India’s largest event dedicated to kids and families, came to an end on Sunday.
Staying true to its theme of “Shop. Play. Learn.,” the two-day fiesta offered fantastic exhibits, interactive activities, entertainment, the latest products and services for children and a wildlife zone.
Bindiya from Wildlife SOS, who was informing the children about the reptiles, told ANI, “We are trying to get children to understand that all reptiles are not harmful and snakes are actually our friends because they help us; they help the farmers by catching the rodents and they are part of a bigger diversity of our nation. They are a precious national wealth of our nation. We are trying to teach children to be concern and passionate toward wildlife and other animals around them.”
Bindiya and team showcased five kinds of snakes- Monitor lizard, rat snake, wolf snake, common sand snake and red sand snake, which will soon be released back in the wild.
On being asked whether or not the live experience would help kids ditch the screen and enjoy the nature more, Bindiya said that the hands-on experience of seeing and touching the animals would definitely help.
“Once they get to know the animals and get close with them, they can get compassionate towards the animals. This will help us and the future generation to help protect the nature,” she noted.
Chandrika Behel, Director of the Exhibition, “Lot of the fears that you have as an adult stem from what you have learnt and not learnt when you were a child. This year, we were hesitant because a lot of children are so terrified of the snakes, so are many of us. But, I think if the child gets to know at a young age that they are not harmful and gets to touch them and don’t freak out, then he grows up just knowing more about them and being more open and not being terrified as most adults are now.”
The family extravaganza also featured ‘Walk with Dinosaurs’ for the first time in India, where two giant dinosaurs, both 18ft by 12 ft, were introduced. One of which was Rajasaurus.
With record breaking attendance of families and children in this edition, Krackerjack Karnival is set to go PAN India in 2016.
After New Delhi, the next edition of the festival is scheduled for 6th and 7th February, 2016 in Bengaluru. (ANI)