Mysore Zoo

Mysore Zoo, formally the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, is one of the oldest zoos in the country, laid out in the late nineteenth century on a palace estate and now a shaded park of mature trees in the middle of the city. It is unusually well regarded among Indian zoos for enclosure size and animal condition, with large open paddocks for elephant, giraffe, rhinoceros and big cats rather than the bare cages typical of older institutions. The collection covers African as well as Indian species, and the zoo runs breeding programmes and takes in rescued animals. Paths are wide, well planted and easy to walk in a morning.

History

The zoo grew from the private menagerie of Chamaraja Wadiyar X, Maharaja of Mysore, set up in 1892 on 10 acres of the Summer Palace and enlarged over the next ten years to 45 acres. First called the Palace Zoo, it was renamed the Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in 1909; its first superintendent, A. C. Hughes, served from 1892 to 1924, and after 1948 it was enlarged again, taking in the Karanji Tank, where an island was made as a bird sanctuary (Wikipedia, Mysore Zoo).

What to look for

• Open paddocks - large enclosures for elephant, giraffe and rhinoceros.
• Big cat sections - tiger, lion and leopard in wooded compounds.
• Mature garden trees - the shaded avenues that make the grounds pleasant to walk.
• Rescue and breeding areas - animals brought in from confiscations and captive programmes.

When to go

October to February is the cool season and the most comfortable for a long walk outdoors. Arrive at opening, when animals are active and the heat has not built; by the middle of the day most of them are asleep in shade. The zoo closes one day a week, and weekends and school holidays bring very heavy crowds. Tickets are best booked online in advance.

Practical notes

It is still a zoo, and visitors who object to captive animals will not be won over by better than average enclosures. Weekend crowds are large and loud, and some visitors bang on glass or try to feed animals despite the rules. Midday viewing is mostly of sleeping animals. Shade is good but the circuit is long, and food options inside are limited and basic.

Nearby

Mysore Palace and the Devaraja market are within walking distance.

Key facts