The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. It spans 55 acres (22 hectares) of wooded areas, lakes, and grassy lawns.
Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is among the oldest zoos in India, alongside the Museum and Botanical Gardens, which are also among the earliest of their kind in the country. The vision for the Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Zoo came from Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma (1816–1846), the ruler of Travancore from 1830 to 1846. He had a diverse collection of animals, including elephants, at his horse breeding center and maintained a menagerie with tigers, panthers, cheetahs, deer, bears, and a lioness in the stables. The actual establishment of the Napier Museum and Zoo, however, was facilitated by his brother, Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma, and the British Resident General Cullen.
In 1855, a committee was formed with the Maharaja of Travancore as Patron, General Cullen as president, The Elaya Raja as vice president, and Mr. Allen Brown as Secretary and Director of the Museum. The Museum opened to the public in September 1857, but initially struggled to attract visitors. To enhance interest, a Zoo and park were added in 1859. The zoo originally featured conventional iron-barred cages for recreational purposes, but as deforestation and habitat loss increased, its focus shifted from entertainment to conservation.
A modernization project launched in 1995 aims to gradually replace the old enclosures with more spacious, naturalistic habitats. The Kerala state government is leading this renovation with financial and technical support from the Central Zoo Authority.
