Pt. G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo, Nainital

Pt. G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo, Nainital and its collection

Pt. G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo, Nainital, opened in 1995, is a zoo in Nainital, Kanpur division.

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.

History

It was set up in 1984 but did not open to visitors until 1 June 1995. From 2001 it held what was described as India's sole Siberian tiger, Kunal, until his death in November 2011. Kunal had come from Darjeeling in 1997 as one of a pair, his elder brother Mahesh dying in 2001.

What the venue says

• well-paved hillside trail
• magnificent photography viewpoints overlooking the valley and Naini Lake
• Private vehicles are prohibited from driving directly up to the zoo gates. Visitors typically park near Tallital and take local sharing jeeps or a shuttle service up to the trailhead, or walk up the steep slope from the town.
• Due to its steep, hilly terrain and winding paths, navigating the zoo involves a significant amount of uphill walking and climbing stairs, which may be physically demanding for toddlers and seniors.