Our Story Est. 1855
History ofArignar Anna Zoological Park
A living archive, kept since 1855.
From a small menagerie at the Madras Museum to 602 hectares of forest at Vandalur, one of the largest zoos in Southeast Asia.
- 1855Established
- 170+Years of care
- 602Hectares
Chapter 01 / 12
1851 · Before the zoo
A Museum with a Menagerie
Surgeon Edward Balfour established the Madras Government Museum in 1851 and became its first officer-in-charge. In its natural history section he kept a small menagerie, including a live leopard and a tiger.
Chapter 02 / 12
1855 · The beginning
Dr. Edward Balfour's Vision
The history of Chennai Zoo, formerly known as the Madras Zoo, dates back to 23rd November 1855. The idea of keeping a collection of animals in one place came from Dr. Edward Balfour, then Director of the Government Central Museum at Madras. He persuaded the Nawab of the Carnatic to donate his entire animal collection to the museum and started the zoo on the museum premises. A year later it had over 300 animals, including many significant species.
Chapter 03 / 12
1861 · A new home
Madras Corporation & the Move to People's Park
Responsibility for the Madras Zoo later passed to the Madras Corporation. In 1861 the zoo moved to People's Park at Park Town, near Chennai Central Railway Station.
Chapter 04 / 12
1876 · People's Park
A Zoo Open to All
By 1876 the zoo was spread over 116 acres (47 ha) and was open to the public for free viewing. Among its exhibits were an orangutan, a two-horned rhinoceros, a Malayan tapir and a black-headed gull.
Chapter 05 / 12
1976 · Room to roam
Vandalur Forest Reserve: A New Home and Hope for Wildlife
Land in the city was cramped, and meeting the animals' behavioural needs and infrastructure became ever harder. In 1976, after a detailed investigation, the Vandalur Reserve Forest was chosen. Sprawling across 512 hectares of nature's abundance, it was then the largest zoological garden in India.
Chapter 06 / 12
1979 · Planting a forest
The Public's Selfless Contribution
Work began in 1979, when the land was little more than scrub jungle with hardly any trees. Zoo authorities and people from nearby villages collected seeds from different trees and afforested the zoo. They created an environment close to the natural wilderness, meeting the biological and physiological needs of its animals.
Chapter 07 / 12
1982 · Building the zoo
The First Residents Arrive
Designs for the animal enclosures were made in 1981, and the first enclosures were completed in 1982. The first animals were moved to the new premises that same year, followed by footpaths, roads, staff quarters and a veterinary hospital in 1983.
Chapter 08 / 12
1985 · Opening day
Inauguration of Vandalur Zoo
With most of the works complete, the zoo in its new premises was officially opened to the public on 24th July 1985 by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.G. Ramachandran.
Chapter 09 / 12
2001 · A safe haven
A Rehabilitation Centre for Abandoned Animals
92.45 hectares of land next to the park were acquired to build a rescue and rehabilitation centre for confiscated and abandoned wild animals, increasing the park's size to 602 hectares.
Chapter 10 / 12
2004 · Caring for the collection
The Tamil Nadu Zoo Authority
The Tamil Nadu Zoo Authority was established in 2004, with the Chief Minister as its chairperson, to manage the zoo.
Chapter 11 / 12
2011 · A new face
A Major Renovation
In 2011 the park underwent a major renovation. Enclosures were expanded, and a new entrance, lawns, interactive displays, a souvenir shop, ticketing and visitor centres were added. The Otteri lake was cleaned and improved.
Chapter 12 / 12
Today · Where we are now
One of the Largest Zoos in South East Asia
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