The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam

The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park

The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is a good location to spend time with animals - particularly Sunday mornings. The one of the largest Zoological Park in Andhra Pradesh - next only to the one in Hyderabad and has a rich and varied collection of Wild Species including the Indian Tiger, Deer, Elephants and other attractions from Australia. Spread over 425 Acers of Land, the Zoo park is a host for over 400 varieties of animals.

On Jan 1, 2000, there a news attraction to the Zoo Park. A Special Mini-Train was installed to facilitate people to watch the wild life in a open top train. The Train which runs of rubber wheels was installed at a cost of Rs. 8.5 Lakhs.

Reaching the Park

The Zoo Park is nearly a 6 Km drive from RTC Complex. Busses (both run by the APSRTC - the State Transport Corporation and the Tourism Department) will help you reach to the Park.

About the Park

The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park was setup in the year 1972 in the city outskirts of Visakhapatnam city in a 250 hector area on the National Highway towards Vizianagaram.

The park is a great spot to spend time - particularly in the months of November and December. The Zoo Park has some of the best living animal and marine species and is one of its kinds in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The park is refreshed with a fresh collection of animals from the forests of Africa and the Australia.

The park is the home for

• Deer Safari
• Five Monkey enclosures
• Special Dens for Tigers and Lions
• Six enclosures for Deers and
• Eight specially designed enclosures for smaller mammals.

The list of animals includes the following:

• Indian Tiger
• White Tiger (The White Tiger, named Sirish, was moved to a newly built enclosure at the Zoo in July 2007)
• Lions
• Panthers
• Rhesus
• Bennet
• Stump Tailed Monkey
• Baboons
• Asiatic Leopard
• Himalayan Black Bear
• Indian Porcupine
• Giant Squirrel

The list of Birds at the park includes

• Peafowl
• Red Jungle Fowl
• Patridges
• Golden Pheasant
• Silver Pheasant
• Ring Necked Pheasant
• Doves
• Parakeets
• Mumias
• Budgerigors

The reptile collection includes

• Estaurino
• Crocodile
• Marsh Crocodile
• Marine Turtle
• Terrapins
• Starred Tortoise
• Monitor Lizardds

The Zoo Park had a good collection of enclosure from the funds being provided to the park of which Rs. 8 Lakhs was spent for the enclosures for the American Jaguars and Rs. 7 Lakhs spent for the Indian Birds enclosures.

The Zoo Park is a good place where people love to spend. On an average, over five lakh visitors visit the Park every year.

During July 2007, the Zoo Authorities have setup two new enclosures for the Hyena and the lone-White Tiger. According to PJ Vijaykar, Zoo Divisional Forest Officer, the two enclosures were built at a cost of Rs. 30 Lakhs. The Zoo also began actively co-ordinating with the Hyderabad Zoo Authorities to get another White Tiger for the Zoo.

Walk Through Aviary

The Zoo Park has a Walk Through Aviary for Eastern Ghats Birds. The aviary is inaugurated by Dr. Salim Ali on March 28, 1982.

Himalayan Black Bear

Selenarctor Thiletanms

The Himalayan Black Bear is distributed in India in the regions of Himalayas and the Assam. It has short smooth coat and will be in black color. Black Bear has a distinction from the slothbear. It has a very characteristic 'V' shaped breast mark, in white or yellow. It habits steep forested hills, spends the day while sleeping and comes out at dark to seek its food.

The black bear food includes wild fruits, berries, nuts, small insects, termites and even kills sheep sometimes. It is the most carnivorous of the bear family. Generally, two cubs are produced in the winter.

Lion

Panthera Leo

Asiatic Lion is now found only in Gir forests in Kathiawar, Gujarat. During the day, they rest under the trees and at hunt for food at dusk. They roar throughout the night. They have no specific breading season and the gestation period will be 116 days. Lions are social animals and the male stays with the family and defends the young and get food for them.

Wildlife Week Celebrations

The Zoo Park conducts Wildlife Week Celebrations every year. As a part of this, the Zoo conducts competitions to school children such as literary competitions (debate and essay writing competition) and quiz apart from giving talk on wildlife at schools and colleges in and around Visakhapatnam.