Shakunt Pandey

The Alipore Zoological Garden celebrated its sesquicentenary on 24 September 2024. The zoo was established on 24 September 1875 but was opened to the public on 1 May 1876. It was inaugurated by Edward VII, then Prince of Wales. The Zeerut Bridge in Alipore was all decked up for the occasion, and amongst the crowd of the rich and the famous of Bengal, the prince walked in and inaugurated the zoo. The prince did not come empty-handed. He gifted the zoo a pair of young elephants, who were probably the first elephants in the zoo.

The zoo was formed with the cooperation and patronage of both the British India government and the Indian princes, kings and wealthy noblemen. The zoo boasted a unique and rich collection of fauna and fabulous gardens laid out under the watchful eyes of George King, a botanist of repute. It also had a rink (later used for cat and dog shows), a boating and fishing facility, a bandstand, a hospital, a library, and a state-of-the-art laboratory, which brought it an immense reputation far and wide and regular visits of dignitaries…read more on NOPR