Genesis: Madras Zoo in 1855.
Prime Mover: Dr. Edward Green Balfour, the then director of the Government Central Museum at Egmore, Madras.
Locale: I came into being on the museum premises. A year later, I was home to over 300 animals, including mammals, birds and reptiles.
Remodelled: In 1861, I was transferred to the Madras Corporation and shifted to People’s Park near Madras Central Railway Station at Park Town. I now had had 116 acres at my disposal.
POA: In 1976, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department set aside 1,265 acres in the Vandalur Reserve Forest on the outskirts of the city for me. I am the largest zoological garden in the Indian Subcontinent and one of the largest in the world.
Rejuvenation: I was opened officially to the public on July 24, 1985. The zoo authorities and people from surrounding villages collected seeds of trees and afforested my home.
Retitle: I am named after C.N. Annadurai, former Chief Minister of the state. I am now called ArignarAnna Zoological Park.
Excellence : I pride myself on my Captive Breeding Programme for endangered species and my Zoo School.
Free-range: Deer and jackal roam free in the open areas.
On show: My park has 81 enclosures for many kinds of deer, wolf, tiger, jaguar, hog deer, jackal, hyena, lion, giraffe, camel, otter, llama, elephant, and several monkey species. I also house 46 endangered animals such as the Nilgiri macaques, monitor lizard, chimpanzees, European brown bear, Muscovy duck, giraffe, and tigers among others. Exotic species such as emu and cassowary also live here.
Jaunts: I have a safari park for lion, gaur and deer on a hilly terrain covering 170 acres. An elephant safari was introduced in the summer of 2008.
