Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

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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]
Website www.keralamuseumandzoo.org
Napier Museum Thiruvananthapuram
Zeebra in Trivandrum Zoo
Rhinoceros at Trivandrum Zoo
Barking Deer at Trivandrum Zoo
Cheetah inside cage at Trivandrum Zoo
Hippopotamus in Trivandrum 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.

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.[citation needed]

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]

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, and leopard,[2] as well a nine Asian elephants (as of March 31, 2009).[4] Animals from Africa include giraffes, hippos, zebras, and Cape buffalos.[2]

The zoo also includes a snake farm which exhibits both poisonous and non-poisonous snakes.[5]

Birds

  • Indian Peafowl
  • White Spoonbill
  • Cassowary
  • Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
  • Common Crane
  • White Necked Crane
  • Black Necked CraneGrey Heron
  • White Ibis
  • Blossom Headed Parakeet
  • Roseringed Parakeet
  • Alexandrine Parakeet
  • Moutached Parakeet
  • Greay Pelican
  • Rosy Pelican
  • Silver Pheasant
  • Ring Necked Pheasant
  • Rock Dove
  • Adjutant Stork
  • Painted Stork
  • White Stork
  • White Necked Stork
  • Black Necked Stork
  • Cinerous Vulture
  • King Vulture
  • White Backed Vulture
  • Pariah Kite
  • Brahminy Kite
  • Emu

Reptiles

  • Gharial
  • Mugger Crocodile
  • Spectacled Caiman
  • Monitor Lizard
  • Bamboo Pit Viper
  • Indian Cobra
  • Indian Rock Python
  • Rat Snake
  • Russell's Viper
  • Checkered keelback
  • King Cobra
  • Red Sandboa
  • Green Tree Snake
  • Indian Flapshell Turtle
  • Indian Black Turtle
  • Crowned River Turtle
  • Travancore Tortoise

Notes

  1. ↑ "List of Zoos in India, from 1800 until now". kuchbhi.com. Kuchbhi. Retrieved 4 July 2011. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "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. ↑ "Trivandrum Zoo (Thiruvananthapuram Zoo) in India". my-elephant.se. Elephant Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2 October 2010. 
  5. ↑ "Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, Kerala". my-kerala.com. My Kerala. Retrieved 2 October 2010. 

External links

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