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National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka

Coordinates: 6°51′24.5″N 79°52′22.4″E / 6.856806°N 79.872889°E / 6.856806; 79.872889
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National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka
Dehiwala Zoo Museum
Map
6°51′24.5″N 79°52′22.4″E / 6.856806°N 79.872889°E / 6.856806; 79.872889
Date opened1936
LocationDehiwala, Colombo
Land area10.1 ha / 0.10 km2
No. of animals3000 (2005)[1]
No. of species310 (2013)[citation needed]
Annual visitors~1.5 million (2008)[2]
MembershipsWorld Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)
Major exhibitsMammals, reptiles, aquatic animals, birds
WebsiteOfficial website

National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka (also called Dehiwala Zoo or Colombo Zoo) is a zoological garden in Dehiwala, Sri Lanka, founded in 1936. It is home to various birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians. The zoo not only exhibits animals from Sri Lanka, but also exhibits species from across Asian and other parts of the globe.

As of 2005, the zoo has 3,000 animals and 350 species. The annual revenue is LKR 40 million.

The Dehiwala Zoo exchanges its residents with other zoological gardens for breeding purposes. In June 2021, a lion named Thor which had been living in the zoo since 2012 reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.[3][4]

History of dehiwala zoo

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Sri Lanka has a history of collecting and keeping wild animals as pets by both Sri Lankan kings as well as by European colonisers. What is known today as the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka was founded by John Hagenbeck in the late 1920s. During John Hagenbeck's ownership of the zoos the facility was used as a collection centre by his colleague Heinz Randow who collected numerous native and exotic species from across Asia, for Hagenbeck's zoo; Tierpark Hagenbeck. Randow collected numerous native species like; Tufted grey langur, Purple-faced langur, Toque macaque, Sloth bear, Sri Lankan leopard, Asian water monitor, Axis deer and Sambar deer and other Asian species like; Asiatic black bear, Bengal tiger, Malayan tiger, Malayan Tapir, rhesus macaque, Bonnet macaque, a variety of pythons, fish and invertebrates.

Before World War I, the Dehiwala Zoo was also involved in Ethnographic Expositions (human zoo exhibits)[5] and functioned as holding quarters for live human exhibits collected from around the region.[6]

The zoo was closed at the beginning of World War II in 1939 because the company's owner was German. After the liquidation of Zoological Garden Company in 1936, the government acquired much of the collection and added it to the Dehiwala Zoo (Zoological Garden of Ceylon) collection. Although Dehiwala Zoo officially began operating in 1939, an impressive animal collection already existed as part of the Hagenback company's holding area where the public could visit.

Major Aubrey Neil Weinman, OBE was the first Director of the Dehiwala Zoo. During his tenure, various programs were developed, such as introducing more native and foreign species, launching educational and conservation programs, and improving the facilities and infrastructure. Aubrey Neil Weinman went on to help design the National Zoo of Malaysia.

After Major Aubrey Neil Weinman's retirement Lyn de Alwis, took over as the zoo Director. Lyn de Alwis played a key role in the development of the zoo. During his tenure the zoo was considered one of the best zoos in the world. This fame led him to be contracted to help design both the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, Singapore. Lyn de Alwis was able to acquire several rare species for the zoo like; Western gorilla, clouded leopard, red panda, Kodiak bear, North China leopard, Chinese mountain cat, Oriental stork and Chinese giant salamander.

By 1969, half of the collection consisted of native species including virtually all of the mammals represented. In 1973, the zoo had 158 mammal species, 259 bird species, 56 reptile species and seven fish species. However, not much was reported on the size of zoo collection until the 1980s.

Zoo

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Red lionfish (Pterois volitans) in Min Madura

Dehiwala Zoological Garden is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Asia. It has a substantial collection of worldwide animals, being open year-round and accessible via public transportation. The diversity of the zoo is shown its in aquarium, two walk-through aviaries, reptile house, butterfly garden and many enclosures of varying sizes.

The zoological garden has a small but picturesque butterfly garden which is decorated with small shrubs, trees, creepers and small streams. The internal temperature and humidity of the house is controlled by artificially created mist. The butterfly garden exhibits 30 species of butterflies in all stages of their life cycles for educational purposes.

Animals in Dehiwala Zoo
Category Species Number
Mammals 100 450
Birds 110 1000-1500
Fish 65 1000
Reptiles 34 250
Amphibians 3 20
Butterflies 30 100
Marine invertebrates 10 25

Landscape

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The zoo has dense tree coverage and well-landscaped gardens. To provide more natural habitats some lawns of the Zoo have been converted into small forest patches which are rich in rare plants. Valuable medicinal plants are prominent among the trees in these patches.

The zoo consists of shaded pathways with arched cemented bridges for crossing animal enclosures although other equally attractive alternatives exist.

Museum

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The museum section displays animal remains such as skeletons, footprints, eggs, excrements and specimen as well as preserved mammals and birds.[7]

Animal shows

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The elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) performances in Dehiwala zoo.

Elephant performances

The elephant performances are held at the elephant arena. Pachyderms perform antics such as standing on their heads, wiggling their backs to music, hopping on one foot and standing up on their hind legs.

Educational programme on chimps

One of the main attractions of the Dehiwala Zoo is the baby chimpanzee Sanju. He was hand raised and now his show is conducted as an educational programme about the chimpanzee's behaviours.

Sea lion performances

The sea lions' performances are displayed daily at the sea lions' pool. Two California sea lions are fed by their keepers. Unfortunately, this sea lion was housed in a measly enclosure with a makeshift bathtub in which to swim when not performing.

Animals

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Jaguar (Panthera onca) in the old big-cat grottos at Dehiwala Zoo, Sri Lanka.

The zoo consists of diverse indigenous species as well as foreign wildlife including mammals, reptiles, birds and fish, destined for a horrible and torturous time spent. Every year the zoo exchanges some of its animals with other zoos around the world to enlarge the diversity of its animals and introduce new species of animals as well.

Dehiwala Zoo always trying to expand its animal collection by introducing new species. In 2008, a three-month-old seal was brought to Sri Lanka from the Krefeld Zoo in Germany.[8]

A green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) which was brought to Sri Lanka along with a male of her species, gave birth to 23 baby anacondas in the Dehiwala Zoo in 2008, and 20 of them survived.[9] This was a very rare occasion of giving birth while in captivity, especially in a relatively unfamiliar territory.

The ongoing animal breeding program is helpful for increasing the population of some animal species in the zoo, and it also important for conservation of endangered species.

The zoo currently houses many different species of mammals including; Sri Lankan elephant, lion, jaguar, tiger, Sloth bear, Brown bear, Rusty-spotted Cat, Sumatran orangutan, Common chimpanzee, Lar Gibbon, Hamadryas baboon, Ring-tailed lemur, Silvery lutung, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, Chapman's Zebra, Przewalski's Horse, Eastern Black Rhinoceros, Reticulated Giraffe, Hippopotamus, Pygmy hippopotamus, Arabian Oryx, Scimitar-horned Oryx and Nilgai.

The zoo exhibits their birds in a variety of exhibits including 2 large walk-though aviaries small cages and open air unenclosed ponds. These exhibits house a large array of birds including; Spot-billed Pelican, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Emu, Ostrich, Southern Cassowary, Macaws, Owls, Great Argus, Scarlet Ibis, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Mute Swan, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Sri Lankan Grey Hornbill, Violet turaco, Green turaco, Red-crested turaco and Southern hill myna.

Many of the zoo's reptiles are housed at the reptile house. The zoo has a large collection of crocodilians often not seen in Asian zoos. Some of the notable reptiles housed at the zoo are as follows; Green Anaconda, Indian Cobra, Russell's viper, Carpet Python, Cat snake,Krait, Dwarf crocodile, Saltwater crocodile, mugger crocodile, Cuban Crocodile, Gharial, False Gharial, Komodo Dragon, Malagasy ground boa, Galapagos Giant Tortoise, African Spurred Tortoise, Indian Star Tortoise (Sri Lankan) and Green Sea Turtle.

New additions to the zoo

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The table contains the introduction of new animal species which have been imported by the zoo administration. Many of these species were obtained through exchange programmes with foreign zoos from across the globe, while others were outright purchases, made by the zoo.

Year Species Amount Origin
2004 Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx)[10] 2 Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic
2004 Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)[10] 1 Tiergarten Schönbrunn zoo in Austria
2004 Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus)[10] 1 Moscow Zoo in Russia
2005 Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)[11] 2 Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Japan
2007 Meerkats (Suricata suricatta)[12] 2 Singapore Zoo
2007 Rhinoceros iguana (Cyclura cornuta)[12] 2 Singapore Zoo
2008 Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)[13] 3 Xiangjiang Safari Park (Chimelong Safari Park) in China
2008 Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)[13] 2 Xiangjiang Safari Park (Chimelong Safari Park) in China
2008 Plains zebra (Equus quagga)[13] 2 Xiangjiang Safari Park (Chimelong Safari Park) in China
2008 Patagonian mara(Dolichotis patagonum)[14] 2 Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic
2008 Ring-tailed coati(Nasua nasua)[14] 2 Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic
2008 California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) 1 Krefeld Zoo, Germany.
2009 Dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)[15] 3 Leipzig Zoo, Germany
2009 Pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)[16] 1 Singapore Zoo
2010 White tiger[17] 2 Xiangjiang Safari Park (Chimelong Safari Park) in China
2010 Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)[18] 2 Rare Species Conservation Centre in England
2010 Meerkat[18] (Suricata suricatta) 2 Rare Species Conservation Centre in England
2012 Przewalski's Horse (Equus przewalskii) 2 Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic
2012 Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) 2 Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic
2012 Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) 2 Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic
2013 Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) 2 England
2013 Common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) 2 England
2016 Common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) 2 Guyana
2017 Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) 2 Israel
2017 Pygmy marmoset (Callithrix pygmaea) 4 Israel
2017 Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) 6 Israel
2017 Golden-handed tamarin (Saguinus midas) 2 Israel
2017 Grivet (Chlorocebus aethiops) 6 Israel
2017 Crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) 9 Israel
2017 South American coati (Nasua nasua) 2 Israel
2019 Jaguar (Panthera onca) (Black Panther) 1 BestZoo in the Netherlands
2023 Jaguar (Panthera onca) 1 BestZoo in the Netherlands

Conservation success

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The zoo breeds numerous endangered species from across the globe. They have been able to breed; Pygmy Hippos, Common Hippopotamus, Eastern Black Rhinoceros, Chapman's Zebra, Przewalski's Horses, Reticulated Giraffes, Arabian Oryx, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Lar gibbons, Sumatran Orangutans, Silvery lutung and Bengal tigers.

Facilities for visitors

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Elephant rides, pony rides, restaurants, ice cream shop, and a souvenir shop are available facilities for the visitors.

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka". Sunday Observer. 2005-07-31. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  2. ^ "Dehiwala Zoo Breaking Records". srilankanewsnetwork.com. 2009-09-11. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  3. ^ "Lion at Dehiwala Zoo tests COVID positive". Daily News. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  4. ^ "Lion at Dehiwala Zoo tests COVID positive; Immediate treatment being provided". www.newsfirst.lk. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  5. ^ Human Zoos: A Grim Colonial History, retrieved 2022-09-20
  6. ^ "Ceylon & The Colonial Freak Show". BLERD. 2017-02-15. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  7. ^ "Zoo Museum". Sri Lanka Information Zone. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  8. ^ "New resident at Dehiwala Zoo". Sunday Observer. 2008-10-26. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  9. ^ "Anaconda gives birth to 20 'babies' in Sri Lanka". lankamission. 2008-07-14. Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  10. ^ a b c "New faces at the Zoo". thesundayleader.lk. 2004-09-26. Retrieved 2009-07-22.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Hello rhinos, goodbye jumbos". sundaytimes.lk. 2005-08-19. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  12. ^ a b "New inmates at Dehiwela Zoo". sundaytimes.lk. 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  13. ^ a b c "New inmates at Dehiwela Zoo". dailynews.lk. 2008-06-13. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  14. ^ a b "New inmates at Dehiwela Zoo". sundaytimes.lk. 2008-06-29. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  15. ^ "Smallest crocodile on earth". Daily News. 2009-06-11. Archived from the original on 2009-06-13. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  16. ^ "Latest arrival joins Pygmy Hippo family". sundaytimes.lk. 2009-06-21. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  17. ^ "White Tigers arrive at the Dehiwala Zoo". sundaytimes.lk. 2010-03-04. Archived from the original on 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
  18. ^ a b "Lemurs and meerkats for Dehiwala Zoo". sundaytimes.lk. 2010-03-14. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
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