Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in India
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in India that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Amirthi Zoological Park
Zoo in Vellore District
Opened in 1967, it lies roughly 25 km out from Vellore city and covers 25 hectares, taking in waterfalls. Amirthi is described as the largest forest in Tamil Nadu, rich in flora and fauna. Half the forest was cleared for tourism and the remainder developed as a wildlife sanctuary.
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Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park
Zoo in Mesra
The park was set up in 1994 next to the Getalsud Dam, on the road between Ranchi and Hazaribag. It is divided into an animal section of 83 hectares and a botanical section of 21 hectares.
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Chhatbir Zoo
Zoo in Derabassi Sub-District
Built during the 1970s, it holds birds, mammals and reptiles, a few of them brought in from Guwahati Zoo in Assam. It lies about 20 km from Chandigarh on the Chandigarh-Zirakpur-Patiala road, and was renamed Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park in 1977 for the then governor of Punjab.
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Indira Gandhi Zoological Park
Zoo in Visakhapatnam
Carrying the name of a former Indian prime minister, it was declared open to visitors on 19 May 1977 and ranks third biggest zoo nationally. It spreads over 625 acres inside the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Ghats, with woodland by a water body.
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Kanpur Zoological Park
Zoo in Kanpur
The park is described as the city's biggest green open space and the largest zoological park in northern India. It is one of the few Indian zoos laid out inside a natural forest. From 2014 petrol and diesel vehicles have been barred inside, CNG excepted, to cut noise and air pollution.
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Mysore Zoo
Zoo in Mysuru
The zoo spreads over 157 acres about 700 metres from Mysore Palace and is the oldest in the country. It holds more than 168 species.
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Nagaland Zoological Park
Zoo in Chumukedima
The state's largest zoo, it opened to visitors in August 2008 and forms part of the Rangapahar Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Nandanvan Jungle Safari
Zoo in Naya Raipur
Nandanvan Jungle Safari, opened in 2016, is a zoo in Naya Raipur, Kanpur division.
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National Zoological Park Delhi
Zoo in New Delhi
National Zoological Park Delhi, opened in 1959, is a zoo in Delhi, Kanpur division.
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Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan
Zoo in Lucknow
The Central Zoo Authority of India classes it as a large zoo.
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Nehru Zoological Park
Zoo in Hyderabad
Nehru Zoological Park, opened in 1963, is a zoo in Hyderabad, Kanpur division.
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Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden
Zoo in Junagadh
The zoo is described as the oldest in India and the fourth largest. Wild Asiatic lions survive only in the nearby Gir Forest.
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On-site diningParking
Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
Zoo in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, opened in 1857, is a zoo in Thiruvananthapuram, Kanpur division.
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Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden
Zoo in Guwahati
The grounds lie inside the Hengrabari Reserved Forest. The population exceeds 1,125 animals, birds and reptiles drawn from more than 115 species worldwide.
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Education programImmersive media attraction
Etawah Safari Park
Zoo in Etawah Sub-District
The park comprises several safari sections along with a lion breeding centre and a visitor centre. Animals on show include Asiatic Lion, Gaur, Jaguar, Rhinoceros and Elephants.
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Jijamata Udyaan
Zoo in Mumbai
This is the oldest public garden in the city. Colonial authorities granted the Agro Horticultural Society of Western India land at Sewri in 1835, and the botanical garden laid out there was named Victoria Gardens after Queen-Empress Victoria. After independence it was renamed for Jijamata, mother of the first Maratha emperor Shivaji, though the earlier name remains in wide use.
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Kamla Nehru Prani Sangrahalay
Zoo in Indore
The grounds cover 210,335 square metres, making this the biggest zoological garden in the state and one of the oldest in Madhya Pradesh. Online booking, touchless entry linked to e-Nagarpalika and an app for animal health are in use.
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Kurumbapatti Zoological Park
Zoo in Yercaud Sub-District
The park lies inside Kurumbapatty reserve forest at the foot of the Shervaroy hills, on gentle ground of bamboo stands, woodland and streams that run for much of the year. What opened in 1981 was only a small museum, the site being enlarged later to 69 hectares. Monkeys are the principal draw of the collection, and an elephant named Andal, aged 58, is also kept.
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Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park
Zoo in Pune
The 130 acres are divided three ways, between a zoo, a snake park and an orphanage for animals, and the 42-acre Katraj Lake falls inside the boundary. The city corporation runs it.
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Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park
Zoo in Patna
The plant collection exceeds 300 species of trees, herbs and shrubs. Over 36,000 people came on New Year's Day 2022 alone.
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Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan
Zoo in Gorakhpur
Named for the independence campaigner Ashfaqulla Khan, it covers 121 acres, second in the state behind Kanpur Zoological Park. It opened to visitors on 27 March 2021.
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Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park
Zoo in Tirupati (Urban)
Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, opened in 1987, is a zoo in Tirupati (Urban), Kanpur division.
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Thrissur Zoo
Zoo in Thrissur
Counted among the country's oldest zoos, it holds mammals, reptiles and birds and lies two kilometres from the city centre. It opens from 10am to 5.15pm and is shut on Mondays.
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Guided tour
Tyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari
Zoo in Shivamogga Sub-District
It opened in 1988 as the state's second safari park, following Bannerghatta near Bangalore. The two cats named in its title are neither the only animals nor the only big cats present.
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Jaipur Zoo
Zoo in Jaipur
The zoo dates from 1877 and stands close to the Albert Hall Museum and the Ram Nivas Garden. It holds roughly 550 animals of 50 species.
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Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden
Zoo in Ahmedabad
Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden, opened in 1951, is a zoo in Ahmedabad, Kanpur division. Its exhibits include NOCTURNAL ANIMAL HOUSE and BUTTERFLY PARK.
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Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Zoo in Darjeeling
At around 7,000 feet, it is described as the country's biggest high-altitude zoo, and it breeds alpine-adapted species including the Himalayan wolf. Roughly 300,000 people visit each year.
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Pt. G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo, Nainital
Zoo in Nainital
It is perched on Sher Ka Danda hill at roughly 2,100 m and covers 4.6 hectares. It is billed as the only high-altitude zoo in north India apart from those in Darjeeling and Sikkim.
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Tata Steel Zoological Park
Zoo in Jamshedpur
Roughly 411 animals of 50 species are held, made up of 18 mammal, 28 bird and 4 reptile species. India's Central Zoo Authority classes the zoo as 'Medium', inspecting it periodically and setting conditions for improvement. Requirements still outstanding include a veterinary hospital with a postmortem room and incinerator, the relocation of some enclosures, separate entry and exit gates and a stronger perimeter wall.
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Maharajbagh zoo
Zoo in Nagpur
The zoo occupies gardens in the centre of town that belonged to the city's Bhonsle and Maratha rulers. It falls under the Central Zoo Authority and is looked after by the Panjabrao Deshmukh agricultural university. It faced possible closure in 2006 over animal healthcare, but the objections were dropped in 2007.
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Maitri Baagh Zoo
Zoo in Bhilai
It is the biggest and oldest zoo in Chhattisgarh, and was previously the biggest and oldest in undivided Madhya Pradesh.
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Parassinikkadavu Snake Park
Zoo in Taliparamba
Venomous stock includes spectacled and king cobras, Russell's viper, krait and pit vipers, alongside many non-venomous snakes such as pythons. The stated purpose is the protection of snake species whose numbers are dwindling. The park lies roughly 16 km from Kannur and 2 km off National Highway 17.
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Rohtak Zoo
Zoo in Rohtak
Constructed in 1987, it lies 42 km from the Delhi boundary, and anglers may fish the adjoining lake for a fee of 200 rupees.
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Siddharth Garden and Zoo
Zoo in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar
Siddharth Garden and Zoo, opened in 1984, is a zoo in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Kanpur division.
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VOC park and zoo
Zoo in Coimbatore
Named for the independence campaigner V O Chidambaram Pillai and run by the city corporation, it held about 890 animals at a count taken in 2013.
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Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre
Zoo
Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre is a zoo in Kanpur division.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 38 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.