Top 15 Famous Zoos in India to Visit

In India, zoos are a perfect destination for spending a great day with your family, especially children. That is why millions of tourists and locals visit zoos annually. These artificially created habitats will help know wild animals from close. Moreover, it is also a significant step to protect wildlife species in their habits.

These zoos help to entertain and educate children. India has several beautiful zoos that shelter many local and rare species. This zoological park spans hundreds of acres of land and displays animals safely. Most importantly, these zoos provide excellent conservation strategies that help maintain balance in wildlife.

Table of Contents

List of the 15 Most Popular Zoos in India are listed below:

1. Alipore Zoological Garden (in West Bengal)

Alipore Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in India, which started as a zoological park. In 1896, it was opened for visitors by British Raj.

This Zoo is quite a popular tourist spot in Kolkata. The most suitable time to visit this place is in winter, although this Zoo is open throughout the year.

Here you can see several animals such as:

Royal Bengal tiger
Jaguar
African lion
Grant’s zebra
Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros
African lion
Reticulated giraffe (etc.)

This Zoo also has many attractive birds, some of which are endangered species, including the Emu, white peacock, and many more.

2. Nandankanan Zoological Park (in Odisha)

It is a vast zoological park where people can pursue flora and fauna. This unique zoological park is in Bhubaneshwar. This place also features a Botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary inside the zoological park. Visitors can also enjoy the scenic beauty of this Zoo.

According to experts, visitors can explore more than 200 enclosures inside this Zoo. Besides exploring the view of exotic animals, one can also gather knowledge about various endangered species inside this Zoo.

Some of the rare species of this Zoo include:

Panther
Macaws
Platypus
Tigers
Sloth bears
Pythons and many more.

If you want to explore the wetlands of Kanji Lake, then you need to take a white tiger safari. It is a popular activity several tourists enjoy in this Zoo.

3. National Zoological Park (in Delhi)

Several visitors visit this place to spend a great weekend with their kids. This oldest Zoo can provide you with a lot of facilities and amenities. In this Zoo, you can get a chance to explore rare reptiles, mammals, and other exotic species from very close.

Nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers will love this place the most. Most interestingly, here you can find nemours lizards and reptiles in this Zoo.

4. Mysore Zoo (in Karnataka)

This Zoo is also popularly known as Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden. According to experts, it comes under one of the oldest zoos in India. Bird watching and exploring wildlife are two activities people can enjoy here.

Here you can notice over a hundred birds, mammals, and reptiles. It is a perfect destination for pursuing different species of birds and animals. The Zoo spans 157 acres of land.

5. Arignar Anna Zoological Park (in Tamil Nadu)

This zoological park comes under one of the famous picnic spots in Tamil Nadu. To be witness of absolute beauty, you have to visit this place.

Here you can get in touch with numerous flora and fauna. It is in Chennai. It covers nearly 1260 acres, providing shelter to local and exotic animals. As per the information, this Zoo has 138 species of animals.

Some of these animals are:

Himalayan brown bear
Lion
Elephant
Tiger (etc.)

6. Chattbir Zoo (in Punjab)

Another popular name for this Zoo is Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park. It is in Zirakpur near Chandigarh city. This Zoological Park is home to various birds, animals, and even reptiles. The Zoo covers nearly 202 acres of land.

The key attraction of this Zoo is the Bengal Tiger. It is one of the best places for your kids to learn about several species.

7. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (in Andhra Pradesh)

This Zoo is like heaven for wildlife enthusiasts because it can offer them a variety of habitats. In this Zoo, people do not just get a chance to explore birds, animals, and carnivores; they can also pursue butterfly sightings. The dense Kambalakonda Forest covers this Zoo.

Moreover, you can also enjoy the views of the Eastern Ghats. This Zoo spans 600 acres of land. Here you will watch rare animals and bird species. People can spend a great holiday with their kids.

8. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (in West Bengal)

This beautiful zoological park got its name after the daughter of Sarojini Naidu. This park comes under one of the largest zoos in India. Most interestingly, it is at a height of 7000 feet.

This Zoo’s specialty is breeding animals, including Red pandas, Snow leopards, and many more. It is in Darjeeling, West Bengal, that’s why it is also known as Darjeeling Zoo.

Visitors will find here several rare species in this Zoo, which include:

Himalayan Wolf
Siberian Tigers
Himalayan Tahr
Red panda
Blue sheep (etc.)

Although in other animals, people can also find Blood pheasant, Himalayan Monal, and Grey peacock pheasant in this Zoo.

9. Nehru Nehru Zoological Park (in Hyderabad)

This Zoo is one of the most visited tourist spots in Hyderabad. This Zoo is getting quite popular because of its vibrant greenery. It contains nearly 100 species of animals, birds, and reptiles.

Some popular species of this Zoo are:

Bengal tiger
Indian rhino
Panther
Asiatic lion
Indian elephant (etc.)

If you want to spend a great holiday with your family, visit this Zoo. Several tourists come to have a picnic with their kids every year. They can also enjoy multiple safari trips throughout the zoological park.

Most importantly, your kids can gather knowledge through educational shows and exploring a natural history museum. Feeding sessions are the most attractive fun activity in this zoological park.

10. Lucknow Zoo (in Uttar Pradesh)

The Zoo is a popular place for wildlife enthusiasts from all over the country, being located in the heart of Lucknow. You may also know this Zoo named Nawab Wazid Ali Shah Prani Udyan.

It is quite a large zoo in India that spans nearly 71.6 acres. It was established in 1921 in honour of the Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, to Lucknow. Before being renamed, this Zoo was named the Prince of Wales Zoo.

Here you will watch some amazing animals in their natural habitat, which include:

Lion
White Tiger
Great Pied Hornbill
Royal Bengal Tiger
Golden and Silver Pheasant
Wolf and many more.

11. Sakkarbaug Zoological Gardens (in Gujarat)

This Zoo is getting quite popular for giving shelter to the purebred Asiatic lions. This Zoo is also known as Junagadh Zoo by locals.

You will find here several birds and animals, which include:

Blue bull
Antelope
Wild boar (etc.)

This excellent Zoo also features a veterinary hospital. People can explore an outstanding natural history museum in this Zoo.

12. Nainital Zoo (in Uttarakhand)

It was built in 1984 by the government of India. This Zoo is also popularly known as G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo. It is in the Sher ka Danda hill in the Tallital region.

It is at a height of 2100 meters. Moreover, this spans 4.6 hectares of area. It is a popular tourist spot in India for displaying endangered species.

13. Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden (in Assam)

This pretty zoological garden is in Hengrabari Reserved Forest. For its stunning beauty, it attracts many visitors.

As per the information, this Zoo gives shelter to more than 113 types of animals. Most interestingly, here, you can find various species worldwide.

14. Sanjay Gandhi Botanical Garden (in Bihar)

This botanical garden is also known as Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan by locals. For Patna City, this garden has been a prime source of greenery. It is also getting famous as the name of Patna Zoo.

This park has unique types of flora and fauna. Toy train rides for kids and elephant safari are the most popular fun activities you can enjoy in this place.

15. Sajjangarh Biological Park (in Udaipur, Rajasthan)

This unique zoological park is in the foothills of the Sajjangarh Palace. It is in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Moreover, it spans 36 acres of area. As per the information, it started in 2015. Besides being home to several unique species, this park also features a zoo hospital. Here sick species are treated very carefully.

To enjoy a close encounter with wildlife animals, you must visit Sajjangarh Biological Park. Here you can enjoy various activities such as – watching reptiles and birds, pursuing extensive vegetation of diverse species, etc. To get a glimpse of the wildlife treasures in India, one must visit this Zoo.

Conclusion

Zoos play a vital role in protecting wildlife. If people wish to watch rare species closely, these zoos are their perfect destination. By visiting zoos, your kids can learn about several animals they see only in their picture books. If you want to give your child an educational and entertaining experience, visit zoos with them.

Zoological parks and wildlife sanctuaries are quite important hubs for scientific research. One must visit a zoo to gather knowledge about animal characteristics and behavior. Most interestingly, these also help in increasing the conservation of wild populations.

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Top 15 Famous Zoos in India to Visit

List of the 15 Most Popular Zoos in India are listed below:

1. Alipore Zoological Garden (in West Bengal)