Cervus unicolor (Sambar deer) at IGZoo Visakhapatnam 02

Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is located amidst Kambalakonda Reserve Forest in

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...

, India. It is the third largest zoo in the country. The zoological park is named after the former Prime Minister of India,

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...

. It was declared open to the public on 19 May 1977. It covers an area of . It is situated in Visakhapatnam amidst the scenic

Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka as well as Telangana. They are eroded and cut ...

of India. It is surrounded by the Eastern Ghats on three sides and

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...

on the fourth side. Nearly eighty species of animals numbering to about eight hundred are present in the zoo. In collaboration wit
Stardust Ventures
Vizag zoo launched
web portal for animal adoption
to engage the community with latest events. It also allows general public to adopt an animal for certain time period
IGZP conducts various events regularly
like E-Webinars and Quizzes and also provides E-Certificates for the participants. The webinars are interactive sessions organized with various experts, and are streamed live over YouTube. The zoo is about from the

Visakhapatnam railway station Visakhapatnam Junction railway station (station code: VSKP) is a major railway station located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is on the Howrah–Chennai main line It is operated by East coast Railway till now and it may take some ...

on the National Highway 5 near Yendada. It has entrance and exit gates situated oppositely, with one towards National Highway 5 and the other towards Beach Road at

Sagar Nagar Sagar Nagar is a neighborhood of the city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. About Sagar Nagar is located between Bheemunipatnam and Visakhapatnam beach road. Transport This residential area is well c ...

. It is open to public daily except Monday. In February 2022, the zoo was received accreditation from the World Association or Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) for coordinating a successful

dhole The dhole (''Cuon alpinus''; ) is a canid native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia. Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, red wolf, and mountain wolf. It ...

breeding programme.

Exhibits

In an area of the zoo located among the

Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary The Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary is a forest located near Visakhapatnam. It has been under the control of Andhra Pradesh Forest Department since 10 March 1970. Earlier the land was under the control of Maharajah of Vizianagaram. ...

of the

, the zoo has enclosures for many different types of animals, a jungle along a water body inside the zoo park. The zoo has several native mammals such as

Indian elephant The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of four extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild po ...

s, greater one-horned rhinos,

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...

Asiatic lions The Asiatic lion is a population of ''Panthera leo leo'' that today survives in the wild only in India. Since the turn of the 20th century, its range has been restricted to Gir National Park and the surrounding areas in the Indian state of Gujara ...

Indian leopard The Indian leopard (''Panthera pardus fusca'') is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. The species ''Panthera pardus'' is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because populations have declined following habi ...

s, striped hyenas, dholes,

sloth bear The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss ...

gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...

sambar deer The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local ins ...

and

rhesus macaque The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies that are split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally b ...

s, as well as exotic mammals like

hippos A hippo or hippopotamus is either of two species of large African mammal which live mainly in and near water: * Hippopotamus * Pygmy hippopotamus Hippo or Hippos may also refer to: Toponymy * The ancient city of Hippo Regius (modern Annaba, Al ...

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 ...

Grant's zebra Grant's zebra (''Equus quagga boehmi'') is the smallest of the seven subspecies of the plains zebra. This subspecies represents the zebra form of the Serengeti- Mara ecosystem and others across central Africa. Distribution This subspecies is di ...

s and

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 ...

s. It also has a variety of birds including

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, rosy pelicans,

grey heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern ...

Indian peafowl The Indian peafowl (''Pavo cristatus''), also known as the common peafowl, and blue peafowl, is a peafowl species native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been introduced to many other countries. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and ...

and

black swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon c ...

s. All three native species of

crocodilia Crocodilia (or Crocodylia, both ) is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, known as crocodilians. They first appeared 95 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period ( Cenomanian stage) and are the closest living ...

n, the

mugger crocodile The mugger crocodile (''Crocodylus palustris'') is a medium-sized broad- snouted crocodile, also known as mugger and marsh crocodile. It is native to freshwater habitats from southern Iran to the Indian subcontinent, where it inhabits marshes, ...

gharial The gharial (''Gavialis gangeticus''), also known as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family Gavialidae and among the longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are long, and males . Adult males have a distinct b ...

and

saltwater crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed ...

are housed in the zoo, along with several other species of reptiles.

Gallery

File:White tiger at IGZoo park.jpg, White tiger File:Ursus ursinus sloth bear at IGZoopark Visakhapatnam.JPG, Sloth bear File:Terrapin IGZoo park Visakhapatnam.JPG,

Indian black turtle The Indian black turtle (''Melanochelys trijuga'') or Indian pond terrapin is a species of medium-sized freshwater turtle found in South Asia. Description Despite its name, the color of its upper shell or carapace can vary from reddish to dark ...

File:Sus scrofa Wild Boar at IGZoopark Visakhapatnam (3).JPG,

Wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

File:Wild Bison IGZoopark Visakhapatnam.JPG,

Gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...

File:An Emu at Indira Gandhi Zoo park in Visakhapatnam (1).JPG,

Emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

File:Macaca radiata (common Indian monkey) at IG Zoological park in Visakhapatnam 01.JPG,

Bonnet macaque The bonnet macaque (''Macaca radiata''), also known as zati,Chambers English Dictionary is a species of macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers, along wi ...

File:Hystrix indica (Indian Crested Porcupine) at IG Zoological park, Visakhapatnam 01.JPG,

Indian crested porcupine The Indian crested porcupine (''Hystrix indica'') is a hystricomorph rodent species native to southern Asia and the Middle East. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae. Des ...

File:Tall and elegant.jpg,

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 ...

File:An Indian rhinoceros at Zoo park in Visakhapatnam.jpg, Indian rhinoceros File:Meenalokam at IGZoo park.JPG, Meenalokam at Zoo Park File:Mandrill's 1st day @ Vizag zoo.jpg, Mandrill File:Inside Butterfly world in Indira Gandhi Zoological park.jpg, Inside Butterfly world File:Lion The King of jungle.jpg, Asiatic lion File:Elephant Raju at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam.jpg, Indian elephant File:Tiger posing.jpg, Royal Bengal iger

References

External links

*
Official website of: "Central Zoo Authority of India" (CZA), Government of India

Vizag Zoo
{{Zoos of India Zoos in Andhra Pradesh Parks in Visakhapatnam Tourist attractions in Visakhapatnam 1977 establishments in Andhra Pradesh Monuments and memorials to Indira Gandhi Zoos established in 1977 Education in Visakhapatnam Buildings and structures in Visakhapatnam Uttarandhra