| Date opened | 1942[1] |
|---|---|
| Location | Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Land area | 25 acres (10 ha)[1] |
| Number of animals | ~870[2] Birds: >600[3] Mammals: >180[3] |
Bahawalpur Zoo (Urdu: بہاولپور چڑیاگھر), established in 1942, is a 25-acre (10 ha) zoological garden in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.[1] It is managed by the Government of Pakistan.[4]
The zoo has occasionally bred and supplied wild cats, such as lions and Bengal tigers, to other zoos in the country. It also has an aquarium and zoological museum with stuffed birds, reptiles and mammals.[2]
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Bahawalpur zoo was set up in 1942 by the former Aamir of Bahawalpur, Sir Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi.[5] It was then named "Sher Bagh" (meaning Lion Garden).[6] In 1955, the administration of the zoo was transferred to the Department of Agriculture. From 1977 to 1982, the zoo remained under the control of the Department of the Live Stock Punjab.[1]
The exhibits are a mix between old style cages and newer moated enclosures. One older exhibit houses a pair of domestic cats, jackals, Indian wolves, and an Indian civet cat. Crocodiles are kept in a large outdoor enclosure. Other wolves, lions, tigers, and hyenas are housed in more modern moated enclosures. A large pond in the zoo is home to pelicans, cranes, and geese. Blackbuck, hog deer, nilgai, European red deer, chinkara, and European mouflon are all housed in large paddocks.[7]
The zoo also includes a museum with stuffed animals, including what is claimed to be the last lion shot in the Punjab.[7]
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This zoo has bred various threatened species of Asian black bear, Bengal tiger, blackbuck, hog deer, leopard and lion. Others like chinkara (Indian gazelle), chital (spotted deer), and nilgai (blue bull) are also breeding successfully in the zoo.[5]
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