India’s Best Zoos: Darjeeling, TN & Mysuru Zoos Top The List

After the zoo director’s conference in Bhubaneswar, the Central Zoo Authority ( CZA) unveiled the list of the best zoos in India. As per the list, The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling is the best zoo in the country, followed by the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai and Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysuru. The Alipore Zoological Park has received the fourth rank on the list.

In the first phase, The CZA evaluated 16 large and 23 medium zoos. It put five zoos into the ‘very good’ category and 17 were declared ‘good’. 13 zoos have been put into the ‘fair’ category and four need ‘improvement’.

Best Zoos In India

Darjeeling Zoo, The Breeding Ground For Red Pandas

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, or the Darjeeling Zoo, is the largest high-altitude zoo in India. Lying in the Eastern Himalayas, it is home to many rare Himalayan species. It lies at an altitude of 7153 feet and is an important breeding ground for red pandas. Other animals residing in the zoo include snow leopards, Himalayan beer, yak, Himalayan tahr, blue sheep, Himalayan salamanders and Siberian tigers. Visitors can also spot many rare Himalayan birds here.

 

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Also Read: Kaziranga National Park Safari: A Detailed Guide For First-Time Visitors

Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai

This is one of the largest zoos in the country, spreading across an area of 602 hectares. The zoo houses many endangered species like Nilgiri langur and lion-tailed macaque. The zoological park lies within the Vandalur Reserve Forest area and has a butterfly house, a reptile house, an amphibian house and a crocodile enclosure. Some majestic creatures residing in the Vandalur zoo include Malabar giant squirrel, Asiatic lion, sloth beer, binturong, chimpanzee, hippopotamus, Asiatic wolf and white tigers. The zoo is also home to birds like white ibises, pelicans and storks.

 

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Also Read: Aramness In Gir National Park Is A Paradise In A Protected Teak Forest

Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru

Also known as the Mysuru zoo, this is one of the oldest zoological gardens in India spreading across an area of 157 acres. The park is home to Indian elephants, baboons, leopards, tigers, gaurs, white rhinoceros, lions, giraffes and also green anacondas.

If you’re a wildlife enthusiast, add these zoological parks to your bucket list right away!

Feature image credits: Wikimedia Commons