Focus on Wildlife at The Colombo Zoo

Contributing author: Sivagnanasundaram Bhagiraj
Location: Dehiwela, Colombo
Date of visit: October 2008

A southern suburb of Colombo, Dehiwela, is home to one of the finest zoos in Asia. Officially known as the National Zoological Gardens, the 25 acre Colombo Zoo or Dehiwela Zoo holds over 3000 animals from 350 species — Welcome to a Biological Paradise filled with entertainment, research and education.

Getting There

The best way there is heading south on Galle Road, passing Colombo’s finest hotels and driving 12 km till you pass a bridge that borders Colombo and Dehiwela. From that intersection the Zoo is about 1-2 km away. Tickets are required for admission and costs LKR 2,000 for a foreign adult or LKR 1,000 for a child. It is open to the public from 8.30 AM to 6 PM daily, as well as on most public holidays.

The Colombo Zoo is one of my favorite places to capture animal photography. Be sure to follow the numbers along the trail as you might get lost, missing one of the narrow pathways. If your sole intent is to capture photography, I recommend getting there on a weekday when its less busy. A well planned journey should take no more than four hours inside, but will certainly leave wonderful memories.

History and Founding

The Zoo began as a menagerie in the late 1920′s by John Hagenbeck, a German national and member of the Hamburg-based circus family. John would collect animals at the premises to be exported to his brother Carl Hagenbeck, one of Europe’s largest animal dealers at the time. Being a German-owned business, the company was shut during the start of World War II and most of the animal collection were transfered to the Dehiwela Zoo.

Although officially founded in 1939, origins of the Dehiwela Zoo trace back even further when the public was allowed to visit Mr. Hagenbeck’s animal collection. Today, the Zoo welcomes over 1.2 millions annually.

The Aquarium

Your journey through the Aquarium starts with fish, but you will also be treated to a host of marine wildlife including Corals and Mollusca and bare witness to natural behavioral patterns. Also see some of the world’s largest freshwater fish directly from rivers in the amazon rivers.

The Aviary

Next journey through the bird aviary thats home to several species such as Owls, Eagles, Macaws, and more. Its quite an experience walking through their habitat and see the birds fly over your head, perch right in front of you and even walk with you. It all makes a great photo shoot, specially when one stops to peck at some grains ahead of you.

Herpitarium and Reptalium

Two other popular destinations are the Herpitarium and the Reptalium, where it is not uncommon to even see Tortoise riding on the back of Crocodiles. See some of the world’s most dangerous snakes like the Python, Cobra, Vipers, Krait, Mamba and the ever popular Anaconda. During my visit, the Anaconda had hatched 23 eggs and its babies were on display in a separate tank. Not to fear, all these snakes are kept in secure hard glass tanks.

Other Animal Attractions

There is also some great entertainment with shows from Elephants, Sea Lions and Chimpanzees, including Elephant and Pony rides. Your tour will cover all sorts of primates, especially an Orangutan that is been a long living resident. You will see several large cats, Kangaroos, Giraffes, Hippos and even Camels. Some other key features are Waterfall and Swan Island, the Butterfly Garden, Lion Island, Pony Riding Arena and Elephant Arena thats home to roaming Elephants.

The last stretch of your tour takes you to visit the Carnivores where you could watch the Lions, Bears, Tigers and Cheetahs feeding — watch them rip their prey into pieces. Lastly its the Zebra’s who say goodbye, but you are welcome to go for another loop around but please before 6 PM.

A Botanical Paradise

The Colombo Zoo not only houses animals but is also a Botanical Garden with large variety of flowering trees, medicinal plants and shady pathways which make you feel like you are walking through paradise. Also find potted plants to take back home. As you explore the many sections of the Zoo, there are several places to take short rest from your walk. However, I caution purchasing snacks from the restaurant and coffee shops that are priced quite high.

Editorial Note: Mixed Reviews

In the interest of full disclosure this note was added after submission by the original author, Bhagi. The Colombo Zoo has received mixed reviews by foreign visitors who complain that although the price of admission is more than at Western Zoos, such as that in San Diego (California, USA), it is much smaller. Trip Advisor reviews rate the Colombo Zoo three stars out of five and main complaint is that its enclosures might be a little too small for some of its inhabitants.

That being said, The Colombo Zoo has often being praised as one of the better Zoo’s Asia has to offer.

Goto main Colombo page: The city of Colombo

References: 
1. Reviews of Dehiwela Zoo, tripadvisor.com