Arignar Anna Zoological Park, widely known as Vandalur Zoo, sits about 32 km southwest of central Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. Its roots go back to 1855, when Edward Balfour founded the Madras Zoo on the Government Museum grounds, making it one of the oldest zoos in the country before the collection moved to its sprawling Vandalur site, which opened to the public on 24 July 1985.
Today the park covers roughly 602 hectares (about 1,490 acres), plus a separate rescue and rehabilitation center, making it one of the largest zoological gardens in South Asia. It was named Arignar Anna Zoological Park right from that 1985 Vandalur opening, honoring former Tamil Nadu chief minister C. N. Annadurai, popularly known as Arignar Anna.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Vandalur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Opened: 24 July 1985 at Vandalur (origins trace to 1855 as Madras Zoo)
- Size: about 602 hectares (1,490 acres)
- Species: about 178 species
- Animal Population: about 2,389 animals (2022 count)
- Annual Visitors: about 2 million (2018-19)
- Famous For: one of the largest zoos in South Asia, with a lion safari and walk-through aviary
A Zoo Built for Scale
Vandalur Zoo’s size sets it apart from most urban zoos: its roughly 602-hectare grounds house a walk-through aviary, a serpentarium, a butterfly park, and a lion safari spanning open scrub forest where visitors view Asiatic lions from vehicles rather than static enclosures.
As of a 2022 census, the park held about 2,389 animals across 178 species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles, reflecting a collection built around naturalistic, open habitats rather than traditional cages.
From Madras Zoo to Vandalur
The institution’s history predates independence, having opened in 1855 as the Madras Zoo on the grounds of the Government Museum in central Chennai, where cramped quarters eventually limited its growth.
In 1979 the Tamil Nadu Forest Department set aside land within the Vandalur Reserve Forest for a larger replacement, and the relocated park opened to the public on 24 July 1985 under the name Arignar Anna Zoological Park, honoring former chief minister C. N. Annadurai.
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Arignar Anna Zoological Park FAQs
Where is Arignar Anna Zoological Park located?
It is located in Vandalur, about 32 km southwest of downtown Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
How big is Vandalur Zoo?
The park covers about 602 hectares (roughly 1,490 acres), making it one of the largest zoological gardens in South Asia.
How many animals and species does the zoo have?
As of a 2022 count, the zoo housed about 2,389 animals across 178 species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles.
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Photo: Yakshitha / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.