Dear LG’s last 29th February host world wildlife photo walk ,
In that meet-up I Glad to share all what I learned about Arignar Anna Zoological Park
Arignar Anna Zoological Park, also known as the Vandalur Zoo, is a zoological garden located in Vandalur, is in the south western part of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Established in 1855, it is the first public zoo in India.
Spread over an area of 602 hectares (1,500 acres), including a 92.45-hectare (228.4-acre) rescue and rehabilitation centre, the park is the largest zoological park in India. The zoo houses 2,553 species of flora and fauna across 1,265 acres (512 ha). The park houses more than 1,500 wild species, including endangered species, in enclosures.
This park is identified as coordinating zoo for the breeding programmes for endangered species. The park has a high rate of success in captive breeding of lion-tailed macaques. The park is also successful in breeding other rare species in captivity The park also undertakes cross-breeding as part of its conservation efforts. The zoo also promotes exterior conservation of rare species in their natural habitat—whereby individuals born in the zoo are released in the wild after adequate training.
The park has tree-lined paved paths for long treks inside the campus, enabling the visitors to walk 15 to 20 kilo-metres during a visit. Battery-operated vehicles with a range of up to 80 kilo-metres are available for rent. There are about 9 such vehicles in addition to the 4 battery-operated vans used for the lion safari and 4 diesel-run road rails. Each vehicle can carry 15 to 20 people, and each trip takes about an hour. As an eco-friendly option to reduce demand for operated cars, rental bicycles and e-bike facility are available for visitors.
Refreshment outlets include a snack bar run by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), an ice cream parlour and a soft drinks counter—all near the entrance. The park also maintains 16 toilets and nearly two dozen drinking fountains within the premises for the visitors. The zoo is open to public from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm except on Tuesdays, when the zoo carries out weekly maintenance works.
There are local transport system available to reach the park from different parts of the city.
Chennai MTC bus :
- 515V
- 55
- R21
- PP66
- M18ACT
- B18
- A18
- 170T
- 170L
- 170A
Entrance Fees :
