Yangon Zoological Gardens
Encyclopedia
The Yangon Zoological Gardens (Yangon Zoo) is the oldest and the second largest zoo
in Myanmar
. Located immediately north of downtown Yangon
near Kandawgyi Lake
, the 69.25 acres (280,245.1 m²) recreational park also includes a museum of natural history
, an aquarium
and an amusement park
. With a collection of nearly 200 species and 1100 species, the zoo draws nearly 2.2 million visitors annually. The zoo was operated by the Forest Department under the Ministry of Forestry until April 2011, and is now operated by a private firm.
Yangon Zoo is open from 8 am to 6 pm daily.
Museum, then situated at the present site of Yangon General Hospital
. Funded by the public donation of 240,000 kyats, construction started at the present site near the Royal Lake (Kandawgyi Lake) in 1901. The newly established 42 acre (0.16996812 km²) zoological gardens was formally opened as the Victoria Memorial Park and Zoological Gardens in honor of Queen Victoria. The major attraction at the opening was the white elephant of King Thibaw, the last king of Burma, whom the British had exiled to India only 20 years earlier. In 1908 the Victoria Memorial Park and Zoological Gardens Act was passed giving the establishment a legal recognition.
The zoo was vandalized and looted during World War II
. In 1951, the Burmese government changed the name to the Rangoon Zoological Gardens and Parks. In 1962, the zoo's area was enlarged to the present size of 69.25 acres (280,245.1 m²). The enlarged compound opened doors to new attractions: a museum of natural history on 4 May 1966, an amusement park on 7 October 1997, and an aquarium on 1 October 1998. The aquarium is operated by the Department of Fisheries.
Between 2003 and 2006, the zoo underwent a K600 million renovation program, resulting in an increase in the number of visitors from 1.1 million in 2003-2004 and 1.8 million in 2004-2005 to 2.2 million in 2005-2006.
About 420 animals including elephants, crocodiles, tigers, deer, leopards, monkeys from the Yangon Zoo were relocated to the Naypyidaw Zoo in February 2008.
, the takin
, Asian elephant
, the clouded leopard
, the Burmese large tortoise
, the great hornbill
, the marsh crocodile and the eld's deer
). In 2000, the number of land animals in the zoo was 1203 while that in 2006 was 1100.
totaling over 15,000.
, specializing in rare species of Burmese fauna
with explanatory charts and captions. Many of the curators are postgraduate students of zoology from Yangon University.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
in Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. Located immediately north of downtown Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
near Kandawgyi Lake
Kandawgyi Lake
Kandawgyi Lake , is one of two major lakes in Yangon, Burma . Located east of the Shwedagon Pagoda, the lake is artificial; water from Inya Lake is channelled through a series of pipes to Kandawgyi Lake. It was created to provide a clean water supply to the city during the British colonial...
, the 69.25 acres (280,245.1 m²) recreational park also includes a museum of natural history
Museum of Natural History
A museum of natural history is a museum with exhibits about natural history, including such topics as animals, plants, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, and climatology. Some museums feature natural-history collections in addition to other collections, such as ones related to history, art and...
, an aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
and an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
. With a collection of nearly 200 species and 1100 species, the zoo draws nearly 2.2 million visitors annually. The zoo was operated by the Forest Department under the Ministry of Forestry until April 2011, and is now operated by a private firm.
Yangon Zoo is open from 8 am to 6 pm daily.
History
The first collection of wild animals in Yangon began in 1882 in connection with Phayre'sArthur Purves Phayre
Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Purves Phayre, GCMG, KCSI, CB was a career British Indian Army officer who was the first Commissioner of British Burma, 1862–1867, Governor of Mauritius, 1874–1878, and author....
Museum, then situated at the present site of Yangon General Hospital
Yangon General Hospital
The Yangon General Hospital is a major public hospital in Yangon, Myanmar. Located in a 14-hectare compound, the 1500-bed hospital consists of three Medical Wards, three Surgical Wards, one Trauma and Orthopaedic Ward, and 24 Specialist Departments for inpatient care. The hospital also runs an ER...
. Funded by the public donation of 240,000 kyats, construction started at the present site near the Royal Lake (Kandawgyi Lake) in 1901. The newly established 42 acre (0.16996812 km²) zoological gardens was formally opened as the Victoria Memorial Park and Zoological Gardens in honor of Queen Victoria. The major attraction at the opening was the white elephant of King Thibaw, the last king of Burma, whom the British had exiled to India only 20 years earlier. In 1908 the Victoria Memorial Park and Zoological Gardens Act was passed giving the establishment a legal recognition.
The zoo was vandalized and looted during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1951, the Burmese government changed the name to the Rangoon Zoological Gardens and Parks. In 1962, the zoo's area was enlarged to the present size of 69.25 acres (280,245.1 m²). The enlarged compound opened doors to new attractions: a museum of natural history on 4 May 1966, an amusement park on 7 October 1997, and an aquarium on 1 October 1998. The aquarium is operated by the Department of Fisheries.
Between 2003 and 2006, the zoo underwent a K600 million renovation program, resulting in an increase in the number of visitors from 1.1 million in 2003-2004 and 1.8 million in 2004-2005 to 2.2 million in 2005-2006.
About 420 animals including elephants, crocodiles, tigers, deer, leopards, monkeys from the Yangon Zoo were relocated to the Naypyidaw Zoo in February 2008.
Land animals
The zoo has 145 species of land animals, including 8 endangered species (the tigerTiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, the takin
Takin
The Takin , also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. There are four subspecies: B. taxicolor taxicolor, the Mishmi Takin; B. taxicolor bedfordi, the Shanxi or Golden Takin; B. taxicolor tibetana, the Tibetan or Sichuan Takin; and B. taxicolor...
, Asian elephant
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
, the clouded leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
, the Burmese large tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
, the great hornbill
Hornbill
Hornbills are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family...
, the marsh crocodile and the eld's deer
Eld's Deer
Eld's Deer , also known as the Thamin or Brow-antlered Deer, is an endangered species of deer indigenous to southeastern Asia. The species was first discovered by westerners in Manipur in India in 1839. The original scientific name Cervus eldi was coined in 1844 in honour of Lt. Percy Eld – a...
). In 2000, the number of land animals in the zoo was 1203 while that in 2006 was 1100.
| Group | Number of species | Number of animals |
|---|---|---|
| Mammal Mammal Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young... s |
60 | 610 |
| Bird Bird Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from... s |
67 | 425 |
| Reptile Reptile Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors... s |
18 | 168 |
| Total land animals | 145 | 1203 |
Flora
In 2000, the zoo had over 300 species of floraFlora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
totaling over 15,000.
| Group | Number of species |
|---|---|
| Tree and plants | 170 |
| Coconut and palm | 19 |
| Bamboo and grass | 23 |
| Shrub and vine | 69 |
| Seasonal Flowers | 24 |
Museum of Natural History
The Natural History Museum, located in the southern end of the park, houses exhibits of taxidermyTaxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
, specializing in rare species of Burmese fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
with explanatory charts and captions. Many of the curators are postgraduate students of zoology from Yangon University.