The Alipore Zoological Gardens (also informally called the Alipore Zoo, Calcutta Zoo or Kolkata Zoo) is India's oldest formally stated zoological park (as opposed to royal and British menageries) and a big tourist attraction in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is probably best known as the home of the now expired Aldabra Giant Tortoise Adwaita, which was reputed to have been over 250 years old when it died. It is also home to one of the few captive breeding projects involving the Manipur Brow-antlered Deer. The zoo has drawn a lot of criticism from the zoo community and conservationists in the past few decades, mainly for its cramped cages, as well as for its Panthera hybrid breeding program. Giraffes in Sydneys Taronga Zoo A zoological garden, zoological park, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures and displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred. ...   (IPA: [] Bengali: কলকাতা) (formerly  ) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. ... West Bengal   (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... Binomial name Geochelone gigantea Schweigger, 1812 The Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea), from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world. ... Adwaita (meaning One and the only in Sanskrit) was the name of an Aldabra Giant Tortoise in the Alipore zoo of Kolkata, India. ... Captive breeding is the process of breeding endangered animals by capturing them from their natural environment, breeding them in restricted conditions in zoos and other conservation facilities, and releasing them back to the wild when the population stabilizes and the threat to the animal in the wild is lessened or... Manipur   (Bengali: মণিপুর,Now in Meitei mayek) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ... Brow antlered deer are a rare and endangered species of deer. ... There are a number of hybrids of Panthera genus. ...

History

The zoo had its roots in a private menagerie established by Governor General of Bengal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington established around 1800 in his summer home at Barrackpore near Kolkata, as part of the Indian Natural History Project.^[2][3] However, Wellesley returned to England with his brother Richard Wellesley - then Governor General of India, and the animals were then looked after by the famous Scottish physician zoologist Francis Buchanan-Hamilton. The collection from this era are documented by watercolours by Charles D'Oyly, and a visit by the famous French botanist Victor Jacquemont.^[4] Sir Stamford Raffles visited the menagerie in 1810, encountering his first tapir there, and doubtless used some aspects of the menagerie as an inspiration for the London Zoo.^[2] A Governor-General (in Canada always, and frequently in India prior to the abolition of the last monarchy, Governor General) is most generally a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above ordinary governors [1]. The most common contemporary usage of the term is to refer to the... Bengal (Bengali: বঙ্গ Bôngo, বাংলা Bangla, বঙ্গদেশ Bôngodesh or বাংলাদেশ Bangladesh), is a historical and geographical region in the northeast of South Asia. ... Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769–14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, widely considered one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. ... // ON MAY 5 1853 MR.FADER HAD SEX WITH A MAN NAME MR WIEN THEN THEY HAD SON NAMEDMRS COTURE AND MR MANOOGIAN WENT INTO MRS HASKELLS OFFICE NAKED AND DANCED AROUND AND MASTERBATED ON HER CHEST AND SHE LICKED IT OFF THEN THEY HAD ORAL SEEX WITH NAPLOEAN OF... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Richard Wellesley ,1st Marquess Wellesley The Most Honourable Richard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (20 June 1760 - 26 September 1842), was the eldest son of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington, an Irish peer, and brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. ... The Governor-Generals Flag (1885–1947) depicted the Star of India on a Union Flag. ... “Scot” redirects here. ... The Doctor by Samuel Luke Fildes This article is about the term physician, one type of doctor; for other uses of the word doctor see Doctor. ... Zoology (Greek zoon = animal and logos = word) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... Dr Francis Buchanan, later known as Francis Hamilton but often referred to as Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (February 15, 1762 - June 15, 1829) was a Scottish physician who made significant contributions as a geographer zoologist and botanist while living in India. ... Watercolor is a painting technique making use of water-soluble pigments that are either transparent or opaque and are formulated with gum to bond the pigment to the paper. ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Victor Jacquemont (1801-1832) was a French botanist and geologist. ... Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (6 July 1781 - 5 July 1826) was the founder of the city (now country) of Singapore, and is one of the best-known of the many Britons who created the largest empire the world has ever seen. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Species Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris Tapirs (IPA:ˈteɪpÉ™r, pronounced as in taper, or IPA:təˈpɪər, pronounced as in tap-ear) are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. ... The giant London Zoo aviary London Zoo, or more correctly London Zoological Gardens, is the worlds oldest scientific zoo. ...

The foundation of zoos in major cities around the world caused a growing thought among the British community in Kolkata that the menagerie should be upgraded to a formal zoological garden. Credence to such arguments was lent by an article in the now-defunct Calcutta Journal of Natural History's July, 1841 issue. In 1873, the Lieutenant-Governor Sir Richard Temple formally proposed the formation of a zoo in Kolkata, and the Government finally allotted land for the zoo based on to the joint petition of the Asiatic Society and Agri-Horticultural Society. Sir Richard Temple, 1st Baronet, GCSI, CIE, PC (8 March 1826 - 15 March 1902) was an administrator in British India and a British politician. ... The Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William Jones (1746-1794) on 15 January 1784 in Calcutta, the capital of British India, to enhance and further the cause of Oriental research. ...

The zoo was formally opened in Alipore - a posh Kolkata suburb, and inaugurated on January 1, 1876 by Edward VII, then Prince of Wales. (Some reports place the inauguration on an alternate date of December 27, 1875).^[5] The initial stock consisted of the private menagerie of Carl Louis Schwendler (1838 – 1882), a German electrician who was posted in India for a feasibility study of electrically lighting Indian Railway stations. Gifts were also accepted from the general public. The initial collection consisted of the following animals: This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Edward VII King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India His Majesty King Edward VII (Albert Edward) (9 November 1841–6 May 1910) was the first British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... The Prince of Wales Feathers. This Heraldic badge of the Heir Apparent is derived from the ostrich feathers borne by Edward, the Black Prince. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Carl Louis Schwendler (1838 - 1882) was a German electrician and one of the first proponents of the Tungsten based incandescent light bulb. ... An electrician hooking up a generator to a homes electrical panel. ... Indian Railways (IRY) is the state-owned railway company of India. ...

African Buffalo, Zanzibar Ram, Domestic sheep, Four-horned sheep, Hybrid Kashmiri Goat, Indian Antelope, Indian Gazelle, Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer and Hog Deer Binomial name Syncerus caffer (Sparrman, 1779) Subspecies The African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a bovid from the family of the Bovidae. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar is situated off mainland Tanzania Coordinates: Country Tanzania Islands Unguja and Pemba Capital Zanzibar City Settled AD 1000 Government  - Type semi-autonomous part of Tanzania  - President Amani Abeid Karume Area  - Both Islands  637 sq mi (1,651 km²) Population (2002)  - Both Islands 981... “Lamb” redirects here. ... Binomial name Antilope cervicapra (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black Buck (Antilope cervicapra) or Indian Black Buck antelope, is a small antelope native to Northern India, Pakistan and Nepal. ... Binomial name Gazella bennettii (Sykes, 1831) The Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in South Asia. ... Binomial name Cervus unicolor (Kerr, 1792) Sambar Sambar, common name for several large dark brown and maned Asian deer, particularly for the Indian species, which attains a height of 102 to 160 cm (40 to 63 in) at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 272 kg (600 lb). ... Binomial name Axis axis (Erxleben, 1777) The chital (or cheetal) deer, also known as the spotted deer or axis deer is a large spotted deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka and most of India. ... Binomial name Axis porcinus Zimmermann, 1780 The Hog Deer (Axis porcinus) is small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to Myanmar, with a secondary range in southeast Asia. ...

A rare photograph of R. B. Sanyal, the first superintendent of the zoo

It is not clear whether the Aldabra Giant Tortoise Adwaita was among the opening stock of animals. The animals at Barrackpore Park were added to the collection over the first few months of 1886, significantly increasing its size. The zoo was thrown open to the public on May 6, 1876.^[5] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A rare photograph of R. B. Sanyal Ram Brahma Sanyal (1858 - October 13, 1908) was the first superintendent of the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata (then Calcutta). ... Binomial name Geochelone gigantea Schweigger, 1812 The Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea), from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world. ... Adwaita (meaning One and the only in Sanskrit) was the name of an Aldabra Giant Tortoise in the Alipore zoo of Kolkata, India. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

It grew based on gifts from British and Indian nobility - like Raja Suryakanta Acharya of Mymensingh in whose honour the open air tiger enclosure is named the Mymensingh Enclosure. Other contributors who donated part or all of their private menagerie to the Alipore Zoo included the Maharaja of Mysore Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV .^[6] Mymensingh is one of the districts of Dhaka division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya state of India and Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur district, on the east by districts of Netrokona and Kishoreganj, and on the west by districts of Sherpur, Jamalpur and Tangail. ... Maharaja of Mysore was the principal title of the ruler of the the Kingdom of Mysore in India. ... Who was this philosopher-king, who was seen by Brunton as living the ideal expressed in Plato’s Republic, who had been compared to the Emperor Ashoka by the English statesman Lord Samuel, and who was called Rajarishi by Gandhi? Maharaja H.H. Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV was also known...

The park was initially run by an honorary managing committee which included Schwendler and the famous botanist George King. The first Indian superintendent of the zoo was Ram Brahma Sanyal, who did much to improve the standing of the Alipore Zoo and achieved good captive breeding success in an era when such initiatives were rarely heard of.^[4] One such success story of the zoo was a live birth of the rare Sumatran Rhinoceros in 1889. The next pregnancy in captivity occurred at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1997, but ended with a miscarriage.^[7] Cincinnati Zoo finally recorded a live birth in 2001. Alipore Zoo was a pioneer among zoos in the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century under Sanyal, who published the first handbook on captive animal keeping.^[8][9] The zoo had an unusually high scientific standard for its time, and the record of the Cladotaenia genus (Cohn, 1901) of parasites are based upon cestodes (flatworm) found in an Australian bird that died at the zoo.^[10] Sir George King (1840-1904), was a British botanist appointed superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta in 1871, and the first Director of the Botanical Survey of India from 1890. ... A rare photograph of R. B. Sanyal Ram Brahma Sanyal (1858 - October 13, 1908) was the first superintendent of the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata (then Calcutta). ... Captive breeding is the process of breeding endangered animals by capturing them from their natural environment, breeding them in restricted conditions in zoos and other conservation facilities, and releasing them back to the wild when the population stabilizes and the threat to the animal in the wild is lessened or... Binomial name Dicerorhinus sumatrensis Fischer, 1814 Subspecies Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis The Sumatran Rhinoceros, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis is the smallest extant rhinoceros species, as well as the one with the most fur, which allows it to survive at very high altitudes in Borneo and Sumatra. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is the second-oldest zoo in the United States, opened in 1875. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Orders Subclass Cestodaria Amphilinidea Gyrocotylidea Subclass Eucestoda Aporidea Caryophyllidea Cyclophyllidea Diphyllidea Lecanicephalidea Litobothridea Nippotaeniidea Proteocephalidea Pseudophyllidea Spathebothriidea Tetraphyllidea Trypanorhyncha In biology, Cestoda is the class of parasitic flatworms, called cestodes or tapeworms, that live in the digestive tract of vertebrates as adults and often in the bodies of various animals...

Disrepute

Pressed for space as Kolkata developed, and lacking adequate government funding, the zoo attracted a lot of controversy in the latter half of the 20th century due to cramped living conditions of the animals, lack of initiative at breeding rare species, and for cross-breeding experiments between species. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

The zoo has attracted a lot of criticism over the years for keeping single and unpaired specimens of rare species like the Banteng, Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Crowned Crane and the Lion-tailed Macaque.^[11] Lack of breeding and exchange programs has led to the elimination of individuals and populations of environmentally vulnerable species like the Southern Cassowary, wild Yak, Giant Eland, Slow Loris and Echidna. Binomial name Bos javanicus dAlton, 1823 The Banteng (Bos javanicus) is an ox that is found in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, and Bali. ... Binomial name Rhinoceros unicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Indian Rhinoceros range The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is a large mammal found in Nepal and in Assam, India. ... Crowned Crane may refer to: Black Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina) Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) Red-crowned Crane or Japanese Crane (Grus japonensis) Category: ... Binomial name Macaca silenus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus) is an Old World monkey that lives only in southwest India. ... Binomial name Casuarius casuarius Linnaeus, 1758 The Southern Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius also known as Double-wattled Cassowary is a large, up to 170cm long, flightless black bird with hard and stiff plumage, a brown casque, blue face and neck, red nape and two red wattles hanging down its throat. ... Binomial name Bos grunniens Linnaeus, 1766 Subspecies Bos grunniens grunniens Bos grunniens mutus The yak (Bos grunniens) is a long-haired humped domestic bovine found in Tibet and throughout the Himalayan region of south central Asia, as well as in Mongolia. ... A Giant Eland Binomial name Taurotragus derbianus Gray, 1847 The Giant Eland (Taurotragus derbianus also known as the Derby Eland) is an open forest savannah antelope. ... Species Nycticebus coucang Nycticebus bengalensis Nycticebus pygmaeus The slow lorises are three species of loris and are classified as the genus Nycticebus. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

The cramped, unsuitable and unhygienic conditions inside the cages, and in the zoo in general has been criticized for long. A polar bear was kept in the zoo (in the 1960s) in the tropical climate of Kolkata with merely an electric fan to cool it.^[12] The death of a Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros sparked off speculation about the veterinary efficiency at the zoo.^[13] ZooCheck Canada found conditions in the zoo unsatisfactory in 2004.^[14] The zoo director Subir Choudhury has gone on record in 2006 saying: Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 Polar bear range Synonyms Thalarctos maritimus The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), also known as the white bear, northern bear, sea bear, ice bear or nanuq in some Inuit languages, is a species of bear that is native to the Arctic and the apex predator...

We are aware that the animals and birds are not well in the cages and moats. Efforts are on minimizing their agony.^[14]

In 2007, noted chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall was "appalled" by the condition of the chimpanzees in the zoo.^[15] Type species Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775 distribution of Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often shortened to chimp, is the common name for the two extant species in the genus Pan. ... Dame Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, DBE (born April 3, 1934) is an English primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist. ...

Other criticism directed towards the zoo has been due to persistence of practices no longer associated with zoos, like offering elephant rides. The zoo has also been criticized for the quality of its animal - visitor interaction. Teasing of animals was a common occurrence at the zoo,^[16] though corrective measures are underway. On January 1, 1996 the tiger Shiva mauled two visitors as they tried to garland it, killing one, ^[17][18][19] and earning him the runner-up for the Darwin Awards. Another mauling leading to a death occurred in 2000, and in 2005 yet another visitor was found pulling the tail of a white tiger, but luckily was unharmed.^[20] January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Darwin Awards website logo A Darwin Award is a tongue-in-cheek honor named after evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin, given to people who supposedly improve the human gene pool by accidentally killing or sterilizing themselves during a foolish or careless mistake. ...

The zoo has also been criticized for its animal - keeper relations. A chimpanzee attacked and severely injured its keeper in Alipore Zoo, and numerous other incidents have been reported including the case of an elephant trampling its mahout to death in 1963 which had to be put down.^[21] In 2001, it was revealed that zoo staff drugged the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros into relieving itself more often than normal, which enabled them to collect the urine and sell it on the black market as an anti-impotence medicine.^[22] A zookeeper is a worker in a zoo, responsible for the feeding and daily care of the animals. ... A mahout is a person who drives an elephant. ...

Besides such major controversies, the zoo has also attracted bad press for relatively minor offences like flouting of the ban on plastics.^[23]

Panthera hybrid program

The zoo attracted flak from the zoo community and the scientific community in general, because of cross breeding experiments between lions and tigers to produce strains like tigons, and litigons (see Panthera hybrid). The zoo bred two tigons in the 1970s — Rudrani (b. 1971) and Ranjini (b.1973) were bred from the cross between a Royal Bengal Tiger and an African Lion. Rudrani went on to produce 7 offsprings by mating with an Asiatic Lion, producing "litigon"s. One of these litigons, named Cubanacan survived to adulthood, stood over 5.5 feet tall, measured over 11.5 feet and weighed over 800 pounds. It died in 1991 at the age of 15. It was marketed by the zoo as the world's largest living big cat. All such hybrid males were sterile. Quite a few of these creatures suffered from genetic abnormalities and many died prematurely. Rangini, the last tigon in the zoo, died in 1999 as the oldest known tigon from hideous deformities.^[24] The zoo has stopped breeding hybrids after the 1985 legislation passed by the Government of India banning breeding of panthera hybrids after a vigorous campaign by the World Wide Fund for Nature (then World Wildlife Fund). Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... Binomial name Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of tigers in 1900 (red) and 1990 (green) Synonyms Felis tigris Linnaeus, 1758 Tigris striatus Severtzov, 1858 Tigris regalis pink, 1867 Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four big cats in the Panthera genus. ... Tigon The Tigon is a hybrid cross between a female Panthera leo (lion), and a male Panthera tigris (tiger). ... There are a number of hybrids of Panthera genus. ... Trinomial name Panthera leo persica Meyer, 1826 Current distribution of the Asiatic Lion in the wild Synonyms Leo leo goojratensis (India) Leo leo persicus (Persia) The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica; also known as Indian Lion) is a subspecies of the lion found only in India. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Government of India (Hindi: भारत सरकार Bhārat Sarkār), officially referred to as the Union Government, and commonly as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of 28 states and 7 union territories, collectively called the Republic of India. ... The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization for the conservation, research and restoration of the natural environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. ...

Attractions

Wild birds began nesting in large numbers within the zoo starting somewhere in the 1890s

The zoo remains one of the most popular winter tourist attractions in Kolkata, but revenue earned is low as gate costs are highly subsidized. The ticket prices at the gate increased from Rs 5 to Rs 10 in the winter of 2003 (a doubling from approx. 12 c to 25 c in the exchange rate of the time). The footfall figures in 2005 showed an annual visitation of almost 20 lakh (20,00,000) — more than any other tourist attraction in Kolkata, and a peak of over 25,000 on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.^[25] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Rupee (₨ or Rs. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States one-cent coin is a unit of currency equaling one-hundredth of a United States dollar. ... A lakh (Hindi: लाख, Urdu: Ù„Ú©Ú¾, Bengali: , Tamil : இலட்சம்) is a unit in the Indian numbering system, widely used both in official and other contexts in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The zoo displays a large number of crowd-pulling megafauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, African Lion, Jaguar, Hippopotamus, Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Reticulated Giraffe, Grant's Zebra, Emu, Dromedary Camel and Indian Elephant. Previously, other megafauna like the Panthera hybrids and the Giant Eland were present. The mammoth, an extinct genus of megafauna. ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Bengal Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a subspecies of tiger found through the rainforests and grasslands of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, India and Nepal. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), from the Greek ‘ιπποπόταμος (hippopotamos, hippos meaning horse and potamos meaning river), is a large, mostly plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant, and three or four recently extinct, species in the family Hippopotamidae. ... Binomial name Rhinoceros unicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Indian Rhinoceros range The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is a large mammal found in Nepal and in Assam, India. ... Binomial name Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 The Somali Giraffe or Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata, is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia. ... Trinomial name Equus quagga boehmi Matschie, 1892 The Grants zebra is the smallest subspecies of the Plains Zebra. ... Binomial name Dromaius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) The Emu has been recorded in the areas shown in black. ... This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... Trinomial name Elephas maximus indicus Cuvier, 1798 The Indian Elephant Elephas maximus indicus is a subspecies of the Asian Elephant primarily found in India and normally found near the Indian Giraffe Giraffacus indicus. ... A Giant Eland Binomial name Taurotragus derbianus Gray, 1847 The Giant Eland (Taurotragus derbianus also known as the Derby Eland) is an open forest savannah antelope. ...

The zoo sported a large collection of attractive birds, including some threatened species up until the 1980s - large parrots including a number of Macaw species, Conures, Lorikeet, and Loris; other large birds like Touracos and Hornbills; colourful game birds like the Golden Pheasant, Lady Amherst's Pheasant and Swinhoe's Pheasant and some large flightless birds like the Emu, Cassowary and Ostrich. However, lack of pairing and exchange programs have caused a significant decline in the populations, causing some of the populations to die out. Genera Ara Anodorhynchus Cyanopsitta Primolius Orthopsittaca Diopsittaca For other uses, see Macaw (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Genera Chalcopsitta Eos Pseudeos Trichoglossus Lorius Phigys Vini (genus) Glossopsitta Charmosyna Oreopsittacus Neopsittacus Lorikeets and lories are small, brightly coloured, highly arboreal parrots. ... Lori is a common given name or dimunitive form of Laura or Lorraine. ... Genera Corythaeola Tauraco Ruwenzorornis Musophaga Corythaixoides Crinifer The turacos, plantain eaters and go-away birds make up the bird family Musophagidae (literally banana-eaters). ... Genera Aceros Anorrhinus Anthracoceros Buceros Bucorvus Ceratogymna (=Bycanistes) Ocyceros Penelopides Tockus Hornbills (Family Bucerotidae) are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cows horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible. ... Binomial name Chrysolophus pictus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae. ... Binomial name Chrysolophus amherstiae (Leadbeater, 1829) The Lady Amhersts Pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae. ... Binomial name Dromaius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) The Emu has been recorded in the areas shown in black. ... Species Casuarius casuarius Casuarius unappendiculatus Casuarius bennetti Cassowaries (genus Casuarius) are very large flightless birds native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and northeastern Australia. ... Binomial name Struthio camelus Carolus Linnaeus, 1758 The present-day distribution of Ostriches. ...

Layout

Laid out on 45 acres of land, the Calcutta zoo has been unable to expand or modify its layout for over 50 years, and thus has a rather backdated plan. It contains a Reptile House (a new one has been built), a Primate House, an Elephant House, and a Panther House which opens out onto the open air enclosures for the lions and tigers. A separate Children's zoo is present, and the central water bodies inside the zoo grounds attracts migratory birds. An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... Little Kids Childrens Zoo, St. ...

The Calcutta Aquarium lies across the street from the zoo, and is affiliated to the zoo.

Adwaita

The most famous specimen in the zoo was probably the Aldabra Giant Tortoise "Adwaita", gifted to the zoo in 1875 (brought by British seafarers to Lord Clive's menagerie from Seychelles), and reputedly over 250 years old when it died in 2006 — a contender for the longest lived animal.^[26] Binomial name Geochelone gigantea Schweigger, 1812 The Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea), from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world. ... Adwaita (meaning One and the only in Sanskrit) was the name of an Aldabra Giant Tortoise in the Alipore zoo of Kolkata, India. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Breeding programs

The zoo was among the first zoos in the world to breed white tigers and the common Reticulated Giraffe. While it has successfully bred some megafauna, its rate of breeding rare species has not been very successful, often due to lack of initiative and funding. One notable exception is the breeding programme of the Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, or Thamin which has been brought back from the brink of extinction by the breeding program at the Alipore Zoo.^[4] A pair of white tigers at the Singapore Zoo. ... Binomial name Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 The Somali Giraffe or Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata, is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia. ... Binomial name Cervus eldii (MClelland, 1842) The Elds Deer (Cervus eldii), also called the Thamin or Brow-antlered Deer, is a deer indigenous to Southeast Asia. ... The Dodo, shown here in illustration, is an often-cited[1] example of modern extinction. ...

Reforms

The zoo is presently downsizing to meet animal comfort requirements laid down by the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI).^[27] It has also increased the number of open air enclosures.^[28] A move to a suburban location was also contemplated, but was not undertaken based on the recommendations of the CZAI, which claimed the Alipore site was of historical significance. The CZAI also cleared the zoo of malpractices in an evaluation performed in late 2005,^[29] even though the zoo has continued to attract bad press. Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), Government of India is the central body which has been relatively recently set up to oversee the various aspects of the Zoos in India. ...

Ecological significance of the zoo grounds

The zoo is also on the flyway for several migratory birds like the Sarus Crane, and sports a sizable wetland inside the zoo grounds. Since the zoo is enveloped by urban settlements for miles, the zoo wetlands are the only resting spot for some of the birds and are a focus of conservationists in Kolkata. However, the number of migratory bird visiting the zoo dropped from documented highs by over 40% in the winter of 2004–2005. Experts attribute the causes of the decline to increased pollution, new construction of highrises in the area, increasing threats in the summer grounds of the birds^[30] and declining quality of the water bodies at the zoo.^[31] Flyway is a term which designates the aerial flight path of migrating birds. ... Long-distance land bird migration Many species of land birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being for birds to breed in the temperate or arctic northern hemisphere and winter in warmer regions, often in the tropics or the southern hemisphere. ... Binomial name Grus antigone Linnaeus, 1758 The Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) is a resident breeding bird in northern India, Nepal, Southeast Asia and Queensland, Australia. ...

See also

• The official list of animals at the zoo, maintained by the Central Zoo Authority of India.^[32] The zoo does not have a website of its own.

References

The Hindu is a leading English-language newspaper in India, with its largest base of circulation in south India. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Cincinnati Post is an afternoon daily newspaper published in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Common Man featured on a commemorative stamp released by the Indian Postal Service on the 150th Anniversary of the Times of India - 1988. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Valley News (and Sunday Valley News) is a seven-day morning daily newspaper based in Lebanon, New Hampshire, covering the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont. ... October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Daily News and Analysis (DNA) is a daily English newspaper published from Mumbai, India, launched on July 30, 2005. ... November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini era. ... The Common Man featured on a commemorative stamp released by the Indian Postal Service on the 150th Anniversary of the Times of India - 1988. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The City of Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica. ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deccan Herald is the largest English-language daily newspaper in the state of Karnataka in India. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (84th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Other references

1. Misc, 125 years of Calcutta Zoo, The Managing Committee, Zoological Gardens, Alipore, Calcutta, 2000
2. Mittra, D.K.; The history of Zoological Gardens, Calcutta; Zoos' Print Vol. 15, No. 5 (1999), Back when . . . & then? section, p. 3