Zoos of Northern India play a key role in preserving a vast variety of fauna of the region. Here, animals are kept within enclosed spaces for displaying them to the public. They serve as the ideal centers for tourism and excursions. They also focus on the protection of animals rights. Apart from animals, a variety of floras are also preserved in these zoos. Given below are the zoos located in the northern Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Zoos in Jammu and Kashmir
Manda Zoo is situated in Janipur in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. Some of the inmates of the zoo are animals like Himalayan black bear, leopard, barking deer and hog deer, reptiles like monitor lizard and birds like spot-billed duck, pangolin, cinerous vulture and black partridge.
Zoos in Punjab
Zoos of Punjab protect a variety of fauna of the state. Chhatbir Zoo is located in Chhat Village, Zirakpur. It is also known as "Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park" and serves as the home of about 950 species of animals and about 85 species of birds including the migratory ones. Royal Bengal Tiger is the major attraction of this zoo. Bir Talab Zoo is another important zoo of Punjab situated near Bhatinda. It is a famous tourist site which houses a number of sambhar, black buck, cheetah, etc.
Zoos in Haryana
Haryana houses The Deer Park, near the town of Hisar in Hisar district. It has an area of about 19 hectares (48 acres) including a 6 acre plot for producing fodder for the deer. Rohtak Zoo is located inside the Tilyar Lake Complex on Delhi Road in Rohtak. Tiger, leopard, fox, hyena and wolf are some of the animals of the zoo. The Mini Zoo is located on the Grand Trunk Road near Pipli Bus Stand in Kurukshetra. It occupies a land of about 27 acres.
Zoos in Uttarakhand
Famous Zoos of Uttarakhand enlist the Nainital Zoo, which is also known as the Bharat Ratna Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant High Altitude Zoo. The zoo is highly popular among children and students. It hosts a number of high altitude animals like snow leopard, Siberian tiger, sambhar deer, wolf, Himalayan black bear, silver pheasants, hill fox and palm civet cat. Several rare Himalayan birds are also the residents of this zoo. Malsi Deer Park is also a renowned zoo which attracts a large tourist population. Situated near Dehradun, the zoo serves as a home to deer, nilgai, antelope and peacock.
Zoos in Himachal Pradesh
Manali Zoo is a well known zoo of the state. Monal, the state bird of Manali serves as the major attraction of the zoo. Apart from this, several other animals are also found in the zoo.
Zoos in Uttar Pradesh
A number of Zoos in Uttar Pradesh have a vast variety of animals. Lucknow Zoo hosts about 57 species of reptiles, about 348 species of birds, about 447 species of mammals and about 97 varieties of animals. Common fauna of the zoo includes the royal Bengal tiger, lion, hoolock gibbon, white tiger, wolf, Indian rhinoceros, Himalayan black bear, swamp deer, common otters, barking deer and many more. Another zoo of Uttar Pradesh is National Zoological Park which is situated in New Delhi. The zoo was granted the status of National Zoological Park in the year 1982. It houses a large species of animals such as chimpanzee, spider monkey, hippopotamus, zebra, peafowl, macaque and jaguar. More than 200 varieties of trees are also found in the zoo.
Zoos in Rajasthan
Jaipur Zoo in Rajasthan is a renowned zoo of the country. Located amidst the lush green landscape, it is also known for being the biggest crocodile breeding centre of India. Several endangered species of flora and fauna are also the inhabitants of the zoo. The zoo is mainly divided into two parts, that is, the animal zoo and the bird zoo. The bird zoo also displays a number of reptiles.