Which is the Oldest Zoo in India?

India is quite known for its wildlife conservation and the country has been conserving wildlife even before independence. There are numerous zoos and sanctuaries that are famous but one zoo in particular holds a very special place. Here is all that you need to know about which zoo is the oldest and what makes it so unique. 

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Which is the Oldest Zoo in India?

Source: Alipore Zoo

Alipore Zoological Garden that is located in Kolkata, West Bengal, is the oldest zoo in India. It is also known as Alipur Zoo and was founded on 24th September 1875. This zoo came into existence with the help of funds from citizens of Kolkata. 

The Alipore Zoological Garden website mentions: “Since establishment of the Zoological Garden, Alipore on 24th September 1875, Zoo has passed through several phases. Initially, the citizens of Kolkata at that time came forward with generosity in the process of establishing the Zoo with financial help and they also donated animals from their collections to the zoo.”

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How Did It All Begin?

Source: Alipore Zoo

It's not like that the Alipore Zoo was established overnight. It started with the Governor General of India at that time who was Richard Wellesley. He was quite fond of animals and at his summer residence at Barrackpore, Kolkata, he kept a menagerie which means “a collection of wild, exotic, or varied animals kept for exhibition, study, or as private pets” as per Merriam Webster.

The Incredible India website mentions: “Alipore Zoological Gardens in Alipore Kolkata is fondly known as Alipore Zoo. There’s a fascinating story that surrounds the birth of this place. It began years ago when the British ruled India with an iron fist. The then Governor General Richard Wellesley had built a sprawling summer home in suburban Kolkata, Barrackpur. He had a fascination for animals and housed a small menagerie there which grew to become the Alipore Zoological Gardens.” 

In 1842 Dr. John McCleland, who served as the curator of the Bengal Asiatic Society Museum attempted to establish the first proper zoo in Calcutta. 

However, this idea of his didn’t gain any attention. Later after around 20 years, the idea was presented by Dr. Joseph Bart Fayer and it was accepted but it faced a problem as there was not enough land. 

Finally in the year 1873, when Carl Louis Schwendler prepared a detailed plan for a zoological garden, that dream finally came true when an appropriate location was found and the Government of India offered 46.5 acres of land for this project. 

The Incredible India website mentions: “It took ages and generations to build what we know as the iconic Alipore Zoo today. Dr. John McCleland who was the custodian of the Bengal Asiatic Society Museum in 1842 made the first attempt. Unfortunately, not many paid attention to his vision and it ebbed off gradually. ” 

“Two decades went by and Dr. Joseph Bart Fayer, the then President of Asiatic Society of Bengal presented the idea of having a zoological garden in the city. Strangely, he received a positive response but it was shredded to bits because of the unavailability of enough land. The third time, Postmaster to the Government of India, Carl Louis Schwendier created and strategized an entire plan to build the zoo. But it was shelved till the availability of space. Repeated efforts never go to waste. The fourth time over, the Government of India, designated 46.5 acres of land to build the zoo,” it adds.

Who Was Ram Brahma Sanyal?

Ram Brahma Sanyal was the first superintendent of the zoo. In 1892, Sanyal published his book, A Handbook of the Management of Animals in Captivity, which is still considered as a key reference book for zoos in India and internationally. He managed to have an amazing success in captive breeding, especially a live birth in 1889 of the rare Sumatran rhinoceros 

The Journal of Historical Studies and Research mentions: “The Zoological Garden at Calcutta was established with the state patronage, but initially there was no able scientific minded person to take charge of it and develop it further. It was in this context that the responsibility went to Ram Brahma Sanyal who starting from a casual labour rose to become the first Superintendent of Zoological Garden of Calcutta by sheer hard work and his affinity for the animals. Apart from his commitments towards his job, Sanyal left behind a hugely important book on the management of animals in captivity. This work remained as the only guidebook for the entire world for almost half a century.”

The Alipore Zoological Garden is more than just a zoo. It is a living example of India's natural conservation history. It started as a private holding and now has become one of the most famous zoos in India. 

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