Zoological parks

A zoo, also known as a zoological park or a zoological garden, is a facility in which

animals are housed within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they
may also breed.
It is a place where wild animals and, in some instances, domesticated animals are
exhibited in captivity. These parks are related to wildlife which denotes the large
and popular animals like tiger, elephant, lion, and crocodiles. Wildlife is related to
animals and their natural habitats. It helps us to maintain an ecological balance.
Zoo animals live in enclosures that often attempt to replicate their natural
habitats or behavioural patterns, for the benefit of both the animals and visitors.
Also, special climate conditions may be created for animals living in extreme
environments, such as penguins. Special enclosures for birds, mammals, insects,
reptiles, fish, and other aquatic life forms have also been developed. Some zoos
have walk through exhibits where visitors enter enclosures of non- aggressive
species, such as lemurs, birds, lizards, etc. Visitors are asked to keep to paths and
avoid showing or eating foods that the animals might snatch.

Significance of zoological parks

The main importance of zoos is their ability to educate visitors and impart a
connection to wild animals. Many zoos see their primary purpose as breeding
endangered species in captivity and reintroducing them into the wild. Modern
zoos also aim to help teach visitors the importance on animal conservation, often
through letting visitors witness the animals firsthand. People make connections
with the wild animals when they visit a zoo which helps them to care about
animals, and overcoming apathy is half the battle towards conservation. Some
zoos do contribute meaningfully to conservation.
 Zoos have many other positive reasons for existing besides education, they
increase our understanding of animal behaviour , they advance veterinary
medicine ,which then helps in conservation .Also, they participate in breeding
programs that help ensure that if animals do go extinct in the wild, they will still
have genetically viable specimens in captivity.
Moreover, in zoos, animals live longer than their wild counterparts. True
conservation means preserving wild habitats and all the wildlife that live in them
like no logging, no hunting prey animals , no stealing their water for irrigation, no
tourists , no poaching. Also, from the animal behaviour, we get to know their
reproductive rates and dietary requirements.

Types of zoological parks

• Safari Parks
Safari parks, also known as zoo parks, allow visitors to drive through them and come in
close proximity to the animals .Sometimes, visitors are able to feed animals
through the car windows.
• Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which
aquatic plants or animals on display.

• Roadside Zoos
They are often small, for-profit zoos, often intended to attract visitors. The animals may
be trained to perform tricks, and visitors are able to get closer to them than in
larger zoos.
• Petting Zoos
A petting zoo, also called petting farms or children’s zoos, features a combination of
domestic animals and wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed.
• Animal Theme Park
An animal theme park is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for
entertaining and commercial purposes.

REPORT ON VISIT TO NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK

We visited the National Zoological Park in New Delhi on 29 March 2018. The
th

main motive of our visit was to observe the zoo primarily. Reaching at 10:45 am,
we first got the tickets and stood in queue, impatiently waiting for our turn to
enter. Just like other visitors, all of us were checked by the security guards for
eatables and other sharp objects. Inside the park there were several maps for our
convenience which helped us throughout.
We not just looked around but also tried to gather as much information as
possible. We first went around looking at the various animals present there.
These included land animals like tiger, elephant, jaguar, barking deer; water birds
like black swan and birds like golden pheasant, peacock, red jungle fowl. We also
saw trees like Neem tree, Mango tree etc.
We tried to look and analyze the problems or issues existing in the zoo with
special emphasis on the cleanliness and condition of animals. Another issue
analyzed by us was the educational essence of these parks and how much
importance they hold. In the end it turned out to be a great experience for us. In
this project, we have given a detailed description of our visit.

• NEAR THREATENED
A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near
Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as
that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future,
although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status. The
rationale used for near-threatened usually includes the criteria
of vulnerable which are plausible or nearly met, such as reduction in
numbers or range.

JAGUAR
After the lion and the tiger, the Jaguar is the third largest cat in the world. It is
often confused with the leopard. It is usually larger with a broad head and shorter
legs and tail. They feed on small prey but will also eat larger animals such as
cattle. They will also eat reptiles such as the crocodile and small rodents. It has a
very powerful jaw and usually kills its prey with one bite. Except during breeding
season, Jaguars are solitary creatures. They ordinarily stay on land although they
can swim quite well.
COLOUR: Tan, Yellow, Brown, White.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Panthera onca

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Panthera
Species onca
Size 63 to 76 cm
Weight 56 to 96 kg
Life Span 12 to 15 years
Gestation period 3 to 4 months

STRIPED HYAENA

DIET: The striped hyena is predominantly a scavenger; its diet consisting mainly
of carrion and human refuses. It scavenges large and medium-sized mammals, such
as zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, and impalas, even eating bones from carcasses if
the meat has been picked off. It supplements its diet with fruit, insects, and
occasionally by killing small animals like hares, rodents, reptiles, and birds. Water
is consumed every night if it is available, but the stripped hyaena can survive
without water for long periods and live under desert conditions.
RANGE: South of Nilgiri Hills, West to Gujarat, North to lowland of Jammu and
Kashmir and Kumaon, east to West Bengal.
SCIENTIFIC NAME Hyaena hyaena
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Hyaenidae
Genus Hyaena
Species hyaena
Size 100 to 120 cm.
Weight 25 to 40 kg.
Life Span 20 to 25 years
Gestation period 90 to 92 days

• ENDANGERED
An endangered species is a species which has been categorized as
very likely to become extinct. Endangered (EN), as categorized by
the (IUCN) Red list, is the second most severe conservation
status for wild populations in the IUCN's schema after Critically
Endangered.

The Lion-tailed Macaque

The Lion-tailed Macaque has a mane of hair and a tail that makes it look like a
lion. It is endangered because its forest habitat is being turned into farmland. The
Lion-tailed Macaque lives in forested areas in the Western Ghats, a mountain range
in southwest India.. The males of Lion-tailed Macaque troops defend their territory
with loud cries. In this respect, they are similar to lions.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Macaca silenus

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Primates
Family Cercopithecidae
Genus Macaca
Species silenus
SIZE 60 to 95 cm
WEIGHT 15 to 25 kg
LIFE SPAN 20 to 25 years
GESTATION PERIOD 6 months

Indian Rhinoceros

The Indian rhinoceros is one of the smaller rhinoceros species, thought to be most
closely related to the Javan rhinoceros. The Indian rhinoceros has one horn which
it uses for defense, intimidation, digging up roots and breaking branches during
feeding. The horn of the Indian rhinoceros is made from a substance called keratin
and is therefore very strong. The horn of the Indian rhinoceros is used in ancient
medicine and many Indian rhinos have been illegally poached for them. The Indian
rhinoceros is herbivorous animal meaning that it sustains itself on a purely plant
based diet. Indian rhinos browse the densely vegetated sub-tropical forest for
leaves, flowers, buds, fruits, berries and roots which they dig up from the ground
using their horns.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Rhinoceros unicornis

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Perisodactyla
Family Rhinocerotidae
Genus Rhinoceros
Species unicornis
SIZE 3 to 3.8 mtrs
WEIGHT 1600 to 2700 kg
LIFE SPAN 30 to 40 years
GESTATION PERIOD 16 to 18 months
ROYAL BENGAL TIGER
Distribution and habitat: In 1982, a sub-fossil right middle phalanx was found in a
prehistoric midden near Kuruwita in SriLanka. Tigers appear to have arrived in Sri
Lanka during a pluvial period about 20,000 years ago. Results of a
phytogeographic study using 134 samples from tigers across the global range
suggest that the historical northeastern distribution limit of the Bengal tiger is the
region in the Chittagong Hills and Brahmaputra River basin, bordering the
historical range of the Indochinese tiger.
Hunting and diet: Tigers are carnivores. They prefer hunting large ungulates such
as chital, sambar, gaur, and to alesser extent also barasingha, water buffalo, nilgai.
Because of the encroachment of humans into their habitat, they also prey on
domestic livestock.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Panthera tigris

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Panthera
Species tigris
SIZE 2.8 to 3.3 mtrs
WEIGHT 170 to 230 kg
LIFE SPAN 16 to 18 years
GESTATION PERIOD 3 to 4 months

• LEAST CONCERN SPECIES

A least concern (LC) species is a species which has been categorized by the (IUCN)
evaluated but not qualified for any other category. As such they do not qualify
as

as threatened, near threatened, or conservation dependent. Species cannot be

assigned the Least Concern category unless they have had their population status
evaluated.

BLACK SWAN
Adult Black Swans are mostly black, with the exception of the broad white wing
tips which are visible during flight. The neck is curved in ‘S’ shape and is longest
among all the swans. They are monogamous breeder. Black Swans prefer larger
waterways and permanent wetlands, requiring long stretches of clear water to take
off. They fly at night and rest during the day.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Cygnus atratus

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae
Genus Cygnus
Species atratus
Size 110 to 145 cm.
Weight 3.5 to 9 kg.
Life Span 25 to 33 years
Gestation period 35 to 40 days

BARN OWL
The barn owl is the most widely distributed species of owl and one of the most
widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as the common barn owl, to
distinguish it from other species in its family, which forms one of the two main
lineages of living owls, the other being the typical owls. The barn owl is found
almost everywhere in the world except polar and desert regions, Asia north of
the Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific islands. The barn owl is
nocturnal over most of its range, but in Britain and some Pacific islands, it also
hunts by day. Barn owls specialize in hunting animals on the ground and nearly all
of their food consists of small mammals which they locate by sound, their hearing
being very acute. They mate for life unless one of the pair gets killed, when a new
pair bond may be formed.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Tyto alba

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Strigiformes
Family Tytonidae
Genus Tyto
Species alba
Size 25 to 50 cm.
Weight 187 to 800 gms
Life Span 5 to 15 years
Gestation period 29 to 34 days

• VULNERABLE
A vulnerable species is one which has been categorised by the (IUCN) as
likely to become endangered unless the circumstances that
are threatening its survival and reproduction improve. Vulnerability is
mainly caused by habitat loss or destruction of the species home.

BLACK BUCK
They like to live in open grassland, dry thorn and scrubland. They like to be in
herds about 20 to 30 individuals. A dominant male marks the territory by shifting
and pawing the ground and urinating and defecating at established piles.
Originally spread over large tracts of India (except in North East India), Today the
Black Buck population is confined to areas in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and
Gujarat with a few small pocket sin Central India.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Antelope cervicapra

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Artiodactyla
Family Bovidae
Genus Antelope
Species cervicapra
Size 75 to 125 cm
Weight 35 to 40 kg
Life span 10 to 15 years
Gestation period 160 days

AFRICAN ELEPHANT
African elephants are elephants of the genus Loxodonta. One species of African
elephant, the bush elephant, is the largest living terrestrial animal, while the forest
elephant is the third-largest. Their thickset bodies rest on stocky legs, and they
have concave backs. Their large ears enable heat loss. The upper lip and nose form
a trunk. The trunk acts as a fifth limb, a sound amplifier, and an important method
of touch. African elephants' trunks end in two opposing lips, whereas the Asian
elephant trunk ends in a single lip. While feeding, elephants use their trunks to
pluck at leaves and their tusks to tear at branches, which can cause enormous
damage to foliage. A herd may deplete an area of foliage depriving other
herbivores for a time.
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and
savannahs.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Loxodonta africana

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Proboscidea
Family Elephantidae
Genus Loxodonta
Species Africana
Size 3.2 to 4 mtrs
Weight 4000 to 6000 kg
Life span 60 to 70 years
Gestation period 22 months

HIPPOPOTAMUS
The massive hippopotamus weighing 3000kg swims effortlessly in water - a river,
a stream or a lake - where it feels home, it even gives efficiently surprisingly, it can
also sink to the bottom of a spring and walk along the bed. The hippopotamus can
remain submerged for five minute at a stretch without surfacing to breathe. In
Greek hippopotamus means ‘River horse’. It is as agile in water as horse is in land.
Unlike most other semi-aquatic animals, the hippopotamus has very little hair. Like
almost any herbivore, they consume other plants if presented with them, but their
diet in nature consists almost entirely of grass, with only minimal consumption of
aquatic plants.

COLOUR: Grey, brown, black and pink.

FAVOURITE FOOD: Soft grasses and low lying plants
HABITAT: lakes, rivers, wetlands.

SCIENTIFIC NAME Hippopotamus amphibius

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Artiodactyla
Family hippopotamidae
Genus hippopotamus
Species amphibious
Size 320-420 cms
Weight 1350-3200 kgs
Life Span 40 years
Gestation period 8 to 9 months

• FLORA SPECIES
NERIUM OLEANDER Linn.
Nerium oleander is a shrub or small tree. It is most commonly known
as nerium or oleander, from its superficial resemblance to the
unrelated olive Olea. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin has
been identified, though southwest Asia has been suggested. The ancient city
of Volubilis in Morocco may have taken its name from the Berber name oualilt for
the flower. Oleander is one of the most poisonous commonly grown garden plants.
It typically occurs around stream beds in river valleys, where it can alternatively
tolerate long seasons of drought and inundation from winter rains. Nerium
oleander is planted in many subtropical and tropical areas of the world. On the East
Coast of the US, it grows as far north as Virginia Beach, Virginia, while in
California and Texas miles of oleander shrubs are planted on median strips.
USES: Oil extracted from root-bark used in skin diseases, Bark contains several
glycosides. Leaves contain oleandrin, a cardiac-tonic.

Kingdom Plantae
Clade Angiosperms
Family Apocynaceae
Genus Nerium
Species N. oleander
Leaf Size 10 -15 cm long & 1.2 - 2.5 cm broad
Colors White, Pink, Red

MANGIFERA INDICA Linn.

Mangifera indica, commonly known as mango is native to the Indian subcontinent,

where it is indigenous and cultivated varieties have been introduced to other warm
regions of the world. It is a large fruit-tree, capable of a growing to a height and
crown width of about 100 feet and trunk circumference of more than twelve feet.
The species appears to have been domesticated in India at around 2000 BC. Mango
is the National fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The Mango tree is the
national tree of Bangladesh. It finds mention in the songs of 4th century
CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. Prior to that, it is believed to have been tasted
by Alexander and Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang .
USES: Unripe fruits are pickled, used as chutney and in prepration of Amchur.
Ripe fruits are edible and preserved by canning or used for juice and squash, jams
and jellies. Bark is used for uterine haemorrhage, and seeds are used in asthama.
Kingdom Plantae
Clade Angiosperms
Family Anacardiaceae
Genus Mangifera
Species M. indica
Leaf Size 15 - 30 cm long & 4 - 10 cm broad
Colors Yellowish-green

KIGELIA AFRICANA (Lamk.) Benth.

Kigelia is a genus of flowering plants which occurs throughout
tropical Africa from Eritrea and Chad south to northern South Africa, and west
to Senegal and Namibia. The Kigelia grows a fruit that is up to 2 feet long, weighs
about 15 lbs, and looks like sausage. The tree is evergreen where rainfall occurs
throughout the year, but deciduous where there is a long dry season. The leaves are
opposite or in whorls of three, the fresh fruit is poisonous and strongly purgative;
fruit are prepared for consumption by drying, roasting or fermentation. In central
Kenya, the dried fruits are used to make an alcoholic beverage called Muratina
which is a core component in cultural events in Central Kenya. Kigelia is also used
in a number of skin care products. Introduced specimens in Australian parks are
very popular with cockatoos. USES: Fruit used as dressing on syphilitic sores, also
used as purgative. Bark used in rheumatism, dysentery and venereal diseases.
Fruits melted in vinegar are used as appetizer, against constipation and to remove
kidney stones. Seeds contain fatty oil which is a moderate source of vernolic acid.

Kingdom Plantae
Clade Angiosperms
Family Bignoniaceae
Genus Kigelia
Species K. Africana
Leaf Size 30 - 50 cm long & 6 cm broad
Colors orange to maroon or purplish green
BAMBUSA BAMBOS (Linn.) Voss

Bambusa bambos, the giant thorny bamboo, Indian thorny bamboo, spiny bamboo,
or thorny bamboo, is a species of clumping bamboo native to
southern Asia (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Assam, and Indochina). It is also
naturalized in Seychelles, Central America, West Indies, Java , Malaysia , Maluku
, and the Philippines. It is a tall, bright-green colored spiny bamboo species, which
grows in thickets consisting of a large number of heavily branched, closely
growing culms. It reaches a height of 10–35 m and grows naturally in the forests of
the dry zones. Culms are not straight, but are armed with stout, curved spines
Auricles are not prominent. Upper surfaces of the sheath are covered with
blackish-brown hairs. Lower surfaces of the sheath are not hairy. Sheaths fall early.
USES: It’s chief use is for floating heavy timber and for structural purposes. Split
culms are used for basket making. The plant contains high levels of silica and is
used in many ways in Ayurvedic medicine. The root is astringent and cooling. It is
used to treat joint pain and general debility.

Kingdom Plantae
Clade Angiosperms
Family Poaceae
Genus Bambusa
Species B. bambos
Internodes Size 15 – 30 cm long
Colors bright green, brownish green (drying)

ADANSONIA DIGITATA Linn.

Adansonia digitata, the baobab, is native to the African continent. The long-
lived pachycauls are typically found in dry, hot savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa,
where they dominate the landscape, and reveal the presence of a watercourse from
a far. Their growth rate is determined by ground water or rainfall, and their
maximum age, which is subject to much conjecture, seems to be in the order of
1,500 years. They have traditionally been valued as sources of food, water, health
remedies or places of shelter and are steeped in legend and superstition. In Africa,
 the different populations of baobabs have revealed significant genetic differences.
It has consequently been suggested that the taxon contains more than one species.
The shape of their fruit especially, varies considerably from region to region.
USES: Bark yields fibre, which is used for making ropes. Fruits are used as floats
for fishing nets. Fruit pulp is also used as a remedy in dysentery. Young leaves are
edible and are used as a vegetable in Africa. Tender roots are eligible, the trunk
decays and hollows out to form a water reservoir.

Kingdom Plantae
Clade Angiosperms
Family Malvaceae
Genus Adansonia
Species A. digitata
Leaf Size 1.5 – 7 cm long
Colors White flower , Grayish trunk

Problems

In this project, we have tried to pay attention on the various problems and issues
which exist in the National Zoological Park of Delhi. For this, we went around the
park and talked to several visitors and authorities to get their views.

• CONCERN FOR ANIMALS

Zoo officials often consider profits ahead of the animals’ well-being. A former
director of the Atlanta Zoo once remarked that he was “too far removed from the
animals; they’re the last thing I worry about with all the other problems.” Zoos
teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals in captivity, bored, cramped,
lonely, far from their natural homes, and at the mercy and whim of people. And
so was the case with the National Zoological Park.
It claim to educate people, but enclosures are quite small, and labels provide little
more information than the species’ name, diet, and natural range. The animals’
normal behaviour is seldom discussed, much less observed, because their natural
needs are seldom met in the zoo environment. The animals who naturally live in
 large herds or family groups are often kept alone or, at most, in pairs. Natural
hunting and mating behaviours are virtually eliminated by regulated feeding and
breeding regimens. The animals are closely confined, lack privacy, and have little
opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise, resulting in abnormal and
self-destructive behaviour. Not only is this not educational, we believe a true
desire to learn about animals should be motivated by and in keeping with a
genuine interest in the animals’ well-being.

• CLEANLINESS

In the National Zoological Park dirty and dingy ponds are not a rare site. The algae
filled ponds are fowl smelling and can turn out to be harmful for the water birds
eventually. Regular cleanliness of ponds is essential. We could see monkeys
roaming around here and there looking for food. They were checking dustbins in
search of food. The problem lies in the fact that since there were plastic bottles
and wrappers in the bins, it could be highly injurious to their health. They should
provide food to the monkeys who roam around freely too.
In our project, we have incorporated our experience in the park. Special emphasis
has been laid on the various plants and animals found there.

• Issues to visitors

1. There are no eating joints inside, I think it is fair as people would then
throw inside the cages but one can get filled of cold drinks and water or
coffee inside the zoo but outside the zoo there are options to have food.
2. Chimpanzee and Giraffe were missing.

• Education Centre

1. There is an education center in the zoo but it remains closed mostly. It only
opens on Saturday and Sunday between 3p.m. to 4p.m., there is lack of
 funds which results in less no of employees, poor administration due to
which education center cannot be opened throughout the week.

Visitor’s Guidelines

1. Do not cause inconvenience to other visitors by crowding or

making noise unnecessarily.
• This may cause hassle in the zoo, so, security guards were
standing in front of the enclosures to avoid such situations.

2. Use the facilities of the zoo with care and do not damage or
spoil zoo property.
• This may cause inconvenience to the animals enclosed in the
zoo if the visitors damage the zoo property. As a result,
officials were on duty to keep a close watch.

3. It is a non-smoking zone.
• Smoking may irritate the animals, so, in order to make
people aware about this, there were many hoardings after
every 2 to 3 kilometers stating the effects of smoking on
animals and it was very clearly mentioned that is was a non-
smoking zone.

4. Do not argue with security guards.

• Arguing with the security guards may lead to noise pollution
and which may end in irritating animals, so, there were
hoardings stating that we must not create any noise
pollution as it may hamper the peace of the animals.

5. Do not try to take any food item inside the zoo.

 • Taking the food items inside the zoo may instigate the
animals to react, as a result, proper frisking was done before
entering the zoo. We were told to either keep the food
outside or to eat it right away. But, we were not allowed to
take it inside the zoo premises.

6. Keep the zoo neat and clean.

• The zoo must be kept clean as if the zoo is kept dirty, it may
lead to diseases amongst the animals. Also, many hoardings
were there showing us to keep the zoo clean as much as
possible. Also, the security guards were telling us not to
litter anywhere.

7. No person shall tease, molest, injure or feed any animal or cause

disturbance to the animals by noise or otherwise, or litter the grounds
in a zoo.
• Such teasing, molesting, may make the animals angry which
could be very dangerous for the visitors as the animals may
attack in return. So, the officials were guiding us to behave
properly and we were told by them to maintain a proper
distance from the railings that caged the animals.

CONCLUSION
The following links were used as references for the huge amount of information
that has been included in this report:-

1. www.google.in/
2. www.wikipedia.org/delhizoologicaparks
3. nzpnewdelhi.gov.in

Field trip is a very important and a crucial aspect of an individual’s learning curve
in the college. Students can strengthen their expertise and concepts by visiting
Zoological Parks and taking notes on the basis of live examples and animal case
studies. It provides better understanding and instills a very important attribute of
teamwork among individuals working together because great discoveries are only
made when great minds work together and complement each other. Such
trips/visits are very important for all children from the animal awareness and
characteristic point of view. It is one of those special tools that can enlighten and
sensitize its visitors about basic values of conservation and protection of
endangered species of animals and birds. The entire education process becomes a
fun and a frolic option for people to even plan trips to these parks as it leaves you
exhausted but still rooting for more information. At the end, I would like to thank
our EVS professor with all sincerity, who provided us with such an amazing topic
to research upon which ultimately led to a memorable trip to the zoo.