The Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden (popularly known as Guwahati Zoo) is the largest of its kind in the North East region and it is spread across 432 acre (175 hectare). The zoo is located within the

Hengrabari Hengrabari (also called and pronounced as "Hengrabari") is located in the capital city of Guwahati of Assam, a state on the north-east of India. Densely populated, Hengrabari resembles the character of a small town in the heart of Guwahati. A fe ...

Reserved Forest A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The zoo is home to about 895 animals, birds and reptiles representing almost 113 species of animals and birds from around the world. The Divisional officer of Assam State Zoo i
Mr Tejas Mariswamy
from Mysore, Karnataka.

History

The 64th session of

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

was held in Guwahati, in 1957. The Organising committee of

INC Inc. or inc may refer to: * Incorporation (business), as a suffix indicating a corporation * ''Inc.'' (magazine), an American business magazine * Inc. No World, a Los Angeles-based band * Indian National Congress, a political party in India * I ...

organised an exhibit with included few animals and birds, of which a female leopard cub named Spotty was the favourite. After the meeting came to an end, it was felt to necessity of a zoo to house these animals. These animals were shifted to Japorigog in the Hengrabari Reserve forest, with an area of 130 Hectare, suitable to create facilities and house these animals, thus, The Assam State Zoo was established in the year 1957 and was open to public viewing in the year 1958. The total number of animals and birds, at the time of its inception was 42 (22 species) and 236 (31 species) respectively. Over the years, the zoo grew and expanded to accommodate eye-catching exotic ones like

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...

white rhinos The white rhinoceros, white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum'') is the largest extant species of rhinoceros. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. The white rhinoceros consists ...

black rhinos Black Rhinos Football Club is a Zimbabwean football club based in Harare. It is a Zimbabwe National Army owned team. They play in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League.They are coached by Stanford 'Stix' Mutizwa. Their home stadium is Figaro Stadium ...

, zebras,

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...

es and

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

s from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

;

puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

and llama from

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

and

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

s from

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. To get these exotic animals the zoo used to send indigenous animals like one horned Indian rhinoceros and others, to many countries. Through later the importance was shifted to indigenous species and several captive breeding programs also started which were successful. In the year 1959 a forest division was created as Assam State Zoo Division and the zoo was put under this division. The Assam State Zoo also added a museum and in the year 1982 a botanical garden and so Assam State Zoo became The Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden. In 2002 another 45 hectare area of the Hengrabari Reserve Forests were added to the zoo and thus, the total area of the zoo became 175 hectare and in August, 2005 the Animal Adoption Scheme launched. Image: Male Indian Peafowl.jpg, Male Indian peafowl Image: Indian Rhinoceros at Guwahati Zoo, India.jpg, Single horn of an Indian rhinoceros Image: An Indian Tiger.jpg, An Indian tiger Image: Pelican in flock.JPG, Pelican in flock Image: Chital or Spotted Deer.JPG, Chital or spotted deer

Mission

Apart from being the region’s premier zoo and ex-situ conservation centre, we aim to offer quality services and facilities in rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals, nature awareness, interpretation and responsible nature-tourism. We shall continue to act as a repository of wild bio-diversity and a green lung for the city of Guwahati. We shall also strive to make Assam State Zoo Cum Botanical Garden the best and complete recreational and educational destination in the whole of North-east India.

External links

{{authority control Zoos in India Tourist attractions in Guwahati 1958 establishments in Assam Zoos established in 1958

History

Mission

See also

External links