Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Date opened 1857[1]
Location Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Coordinates 8°30′42″N 76°57′18″E / 8.5117293°N 76.9550014°E / 8.5117293; 76.9550014Coordinates: 8°30′42″N 76°57′18″E / 8.5117293°N 76.9550014°E / 8.5117293; 76.9550014
Land area 55 acres (22 ha)[2]
Number of species 82[2]
Memberships CZA[3]
Zebra in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Rhinoceros at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Barking deer at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Leopard inside cage at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Hippopotamus in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo (also known as Trivandrum Zoo) is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. It occupies 55 acres (22 ha) of woodland, lakes, and lawns. It is the oldest zoo in Asia.

History

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is one of the oldest of its kind in India. Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, who ruled Travancore between 1830 and 1847, established a menagerie where royal tigers, panthers, cheetahs, deer, boar, and other wild animals were kept. His brother Uthram Thirunal and British Resident William Cullen formally establish the zoo in 1857 as an annex to the Napier Museum. The zoo was originally built with the typical iron-barred cages prevalent at the time, and was designed for recreational purposes, but with increased loss of forest and wildlife due to human development, the goal of the Zoo has changed from recreation to conservation.

Asiatic lions in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Asiatic lions in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

A modernization project started in 1995 aims to gradually replace the old enclosures with spacious naturalistic enclosures. The state government of Kerala is undertaking this renovation with financial and technical help from the Central Zoo Authority.[2]

Black bear in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Black bear in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

Animals

The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is home to 82 species from around the world. Indigenous species at the zoo include lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Indian rhinoceros, Asiatic lion, royal Bengal tiger, white tiger[4] and leopard,[2] as well a nine Asian elephants (as of March 31, 2009).[5] Animals from Africa include giraffes, hippos, zebras, and Cape buffalos.[2]

Hippopotamus in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Hippopotamus in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

The zoo also includes a snake farm which exhibits both poisonous and non-poisonous snakes and also have 7 Anacondas. India[6]

Birds

Reptiles

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo Campus

Notes

  1. "List of Zoos in India, from 1800 until now". kuchbhi.com. Kuchbhi. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Zoo". keralamuseumandzoo.org. Department of Museums and Zoos, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  3. "Search Establishment". cza.nic.in. CZA. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  4. http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/White-Tiger-Arrives-in-Zoo/2014/10/28/article2496015.ece
  5. "Thiruvananthapuram Zoo in India". my-elephant.se. Elephant Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  6. "Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, Kerala". my-kerala.com. My Kerala. Retrieved 2 October 2010.

External links

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