Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park

Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park
Indian peafowl at SV Zoological Park
Map
13°37′30″N 79°21′53″E / 13.6249°N 79.3646°E / 13.6249; 79.3646
Date opened1987
LocationTirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India
Land area5,532 acres (2,239 ha)
Major exhibitsElephant, peafowl, Sambar deer, parakeet, regular leopard, lions, wild boar, white tiger and crocodile, black bear[citation needed]
Websitehttps://tirupatizoo.com

Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park is located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.

History

It was established on 29 September 1987,[1] and covers an area of 5,532 acres (22.39 square kilometres). it is the largest zoological park in Asia.[2]


The main features of the Zoo Park are:

The zoo had an exceptionally heavy leopard called 'Balaji', which weighed 139–143 kg (306–315 lb) against the normal weight of 70 kg (150 lb) of its class. Balaji was captured at the age of 12 in 1996, when he weighed 108–113 kg (238–249 lb).[3][4][5] The leopard ate 4 kg (8.8 lb) of beef daily, the same as the other leopards in the zoo. The park's management was said to be in touch with the Guinness Book of World Records authorities seeking its entry in the records as the biggest leopard.[3][6] Due to an illness and old age,[7] it died at the age of 27 on 11 June 2013.[4][5][8]

References

  1. ^ "Zoos of Andhra Pradesh". Andhra Pradesh Forest department. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007.
  2. ^ "Asia's biggest zoo beckons tourists". Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Tirupati zoo's giant celebrity". The Hindu. 2 November 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b "27-yr-old leopard Balaji dies at Tirupati zoo". Tirupati: The Deccan Chronicle. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  5. ^ a b "27-year-old rare leopard in Tirupati zoo dies". The Hans India. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Memoirs and achievements". svzoo.org. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  7. ^ Rangarajan, A. D. (11 June 2013). "Big worries over big cat". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  8. ^ "'Bulky Balaji' dies". The Hindu. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
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