All About Kerala's Famous 165-year-old Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

The summer vacations are about to begin and one of the common pass times is to visit the zoo. From toddlers to the elderly, everyone loves to see the colourful birds, the majestic animals and much more at the zoo. One such zoo is Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, aka, Trivandrum Zoo. Located in the capital of Kerala, it is considered to be one of the oldest zoos in India and was established in 1859.

The Trivandrum Zoo is spread over about 55 acres of land and was founded by Swati Tirunal Rama Varma, the ruler of Travancore. He was the visionary behind the Zoo and the Museum. A committee was formed in 1855 with the Maharaja of Travancore, General Cullen as President, Elaya Raja as Vice President, Mr. Allen Brown as Secretary of the Committee and the Director of the Museum. Finally, in 1857, the Museum was opened to the public. However, the Museum itself would not be able to attract crowds and increase footfall. Hence, a Zoo and a park started in 1859.

The famous zoo was originally built with the typical iron-barred cages, which were prevalent during those times. It was created for recreational purposes. However, now, the aim of the Zoo is the conservation of wildlife after an increase in the loss of forest cover and wildlife.

Trivandrum Zoo houses about 82 different animal species from around the world. One can find indigenous species including lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Indian rhinoceros, Asiatic lion, Royal Bengal Tiger, white tiger, and leopard. As of March 31, 2009, there are nine Asian elephants. In 2020, giraffes, hippos, zebras and Cape buffalos were introduced to the zoo. Apart from the animals, there is a separate snake farm called The Reptile House that houses poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, including seven anacondas.

The zoo also has a wide variety of birds like ostrich, emu, ibis, Scarlet macaw, Indian peafowl, White spoonbill, Greater flamingo, Cassowary, Common crane, White-necked crane, Blossom headed parakeet, Grey pelican, Painted stork, White stork, King vulture and Brahminy kite.

The biggest attraction of the zoo is that every animal is preserved in its natural environment now instead of cages. With the holiday season coming, the zoo will get quite busy. The Zoo is functional from 9 am to 5:15 pm, except on Mondays.

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