If you remember, my earlier post on Mysore was all about the Famous Mysore Palace. After spending some great time at the Palace, my husband and I decided to explore one more place in Mysore before finally heading off to Bangalore so we asked our cabbie about what else is there in the nearby area which we can see. Mysore Zoo, he said and the moment he said that I got pretty excited as I am a big time animal lover. Before I start narrating my experience let me brief you a little about the Mysore zoo. Mysore Zoo which is officially called Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens is spread over a sprawling 157 acres. Mysore Zoo, earlier known as Palace Zoo, was set up originally by G.H. Krumbeigal, a German landscaper and horticulturist, in 1892 on the summer palace of Maharaja Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar. Later on, in 1972, this zoo was handed over to the Forest Department, and was entrusted to Zoo Authority of Karnataka. Ok, enough with the history thing, now let me tell you my experience.

It was around 3’o clock when we visited the ticket counter and a few moments later, we were inside the zoo. One very important thing I should tell you in the beginning is that there was an option of hiring the electric car at the entrance gate and we chose not to take it. Mistake, A Big Mistake, that was! I underestimated the vastness of Mysore Zoo, it was so big and spread over such a huge area that we had to walk more than 4 Km to explore it fully and after reaching midway inside the zoo, our feet started to hurt badly. I even had a shoe bite and we were repenting that we din’t hire the electric car. So, my suggestion for all of you would be to hire an electric car the moment you enter the zoo.

So, we started exploring the zoo and I was very excited just like a small kid. The first section was of birds where we saw variety of exotic birds.

Then we saw a very beautiful white peacock inside a cage who even posed for us, danced and spreaded it’s feathers and was very much interested in getting clicked  😀

We, then, moved on to next section which was the tiger enclosure. I had an eye contact with one of the tigers too and got scared with his constant gaze.

This cute looking white tiger was the most naughtiest of all.

Next, we move towards the Lion Enclosure which was open from all sides and it did scare us…

Next we saw  Rhinoceros who was busy having his evening brunch and didn’t pose for clicks.   🙄

Then it was the turn of watching Zebras moving in a group.

Then saw a herd of elephants.

Then there was a pair of Indian wolves sitting together and yes they posed also for us.  😆

Apart from these, there Mysore Zoo is famous for the Hyena, Tapir and African Buffalo, which we could not spot.

And then we saw the dangerous crocodiles.  😐

Then we saw painted stork bird and ducks and they all were so beautiful.  😳 

Then, again there was a section of birds, this time inside a huge net and all of them were playing by their little pool.

Then I saw green snake for the first time in my life. It was inside a glass enclosure. There were star tortoises too.

The last thing we saw was giraffes, they were big, beautiful and many in numbers.

Overall, out trip to Mysore Zoo was just fab. We came out of the zoo, had a cold drink, hopped into the car and move towards Bangalore.

My verdict of Mysore Zoo is that it’s a very well maintained, clean and totally well planned place and is home to wide variety of flora and fauna. The best part is that the entire pathway have sign boards and outside every enclosure there is detailed information. And there was also a  Fossil tree trunk which is supposed to be over 150 Million Years old. But one thing is for sure, after visiting this zoo, I know why it’s the most popular zoo in India. Guys if you are in Mysore, then you ought to visit this beautiful zoo. Take my words, you won’t be disappointed.

Important Bits

• Address: Zoo Walk Path Rd, Indira Nagar, Mysuru, Karnataka 570010  |   Phone: 0821 252 0302
• Timings: Daily 8.30 am – 5.30 pm except Tuesday, Tuesday is a Holiday.
• Entry Charges: Adults : Rs.25/-  Children(5-12 yrs) : Rs.10/- 
• Zoo has 22 CCTVs on its campus to keep a watch on its visitors.
• Mysore Zoo website: http://mysorezoo.info/
• Ok, one interesting thing I noticed in this zoo is that you can go and adopt animals. 
• This zoo follows Animal Exchange Program under which many exotic animals and birds are brought from countries like Africa, US, Australia in exchange for Indian animals.
• A museum, a library and a food center is also there inside the zoo.
• I think it’s best to visit the zoo after 3’o clock as animals are more active in the evening time but anyways that’s your call.
• Please don’t harm animals, please don’t litter, don’t throw things at the animals and  don’t irritate them. I saw people throwing stones inside animal’s enclosure to get their attention. That was something very pathetic. Please stop doing that.

  Much Love, Neha