The Jaipur Zoo was historically located inside Ram Niwas Garden, immediately around the Albert Hall area. It was established in the 1870s under Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. The Central Zoo Authority records its establishment as 1876, while some sources give 1877 as the opening year.
So when older Jaipur residents talk about “Albert Hall Zoo” or “Ramnivas Bagh Zoo,” they are referring to this historic zoo.
Why was it built there?
Ram Niwas Garden itself was created in 1868 by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. It was a large public garden conceived partly as a famine-relief project and became an important recreational and cultural space for Jaipur.
Over time the garden developed into a huge complex containing:
Albert Hall Museum
Zoo
Bird park
Ravindra Manch- Gardens and recreational areas
Art/exhibition spaces
The Rajasthan Foundation also describes Ram Niwas Garden as housing the Albert Hall, bird park and zoo, among other facilities.
What was the old zoo like?
The historic zoo had separate areas for mammals and birds/reptiles. At its height, it housed around 50 species and roughly 550 animals according to historical descriptions.
One particularly important conservation facility was its gharial breeding centre, established in 1999.
What happened to it?
The zoo you remember seeing around Albert Hall is no longer Jaipur’s main zoo.
The animals were gradually shifted to the Nahargarh Biological Park/Nahargarh Zoological Park in the Aravalli hills. The newer zoological park opened to the public in June 2016 and became Jaipur’s major modern zoo facility.
This is why older photographs and memories show tigers, deer, birds and other animals around Ram Niwas Bagh, whereas today the Albert Hall surroundings are primarily a museum + historic garden + birdlife/recreation area.
There are still nostalgic references from Jaipur residents who remember visiting the old zoo as children.
LOCATION : Google Maps
