Kanpur Zoological Park

Kanpur Zoological Park and its collection

Kanpur Zoological Park, opened in 1974, is a zoo in Kanpur, Kanpur division.

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.

History

The surrounding forest was developed between 1913 and 1918 under colonial rule by the industrialist George Berney Allen, beside the Ganges. Building work on the park started in 1971, funded by the state Forest Department.

Animals and collection

Mammals include white tigers, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, musk deer, zebra and antelope, while chimpanzees and orangutans have an island of their own, among them Chhajju aged 26 and Mangal aged 30. Some monkeys and deer are left to range outside the enclosures.

Exhibits

Animals are held in open, moated enclosures that give them room to move. Other attractions include a botanical garden of rare plants, a rainwater lake with grazing deer, an international aviary, a night house, dinosaur sculptures and an aquarium charging ₹10.

Conservation and approach

A veterinary hospital treats several animals at once, often ones brought in after conflict with people.

What the venue says

• walking through natural forest trails
• letting children enjoy the play areas and swings
• renting bicycles and taking e-vehicle rides to get around
• There are multiple canteens, eateries, and kiosks inside the park offering reasonably priced snacks (like maggi and bhelpuri), fresh food, and drinking water facilities, meaning you do not need to carry heavy supplies from outside
• Both free and paid parking options, along with street parking, are available on-site
• The facility features a wheelchair-accessible entrance and a wheelchair-accessible parking lot