| Padmaji Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park | |
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 Zoo entrance | |
 Interactive map of Padmaji Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park | |
| 27°03′31″N88°15′16″E / 27.0586099°N 88.254405°E /27.0586099; 88.254405 | |
| Date opened | 26 July 1957[1] |
| Location | Darjeeling,West Bengal,India |
| Land area | 67.56 acres (27.3 ha)[2] |
| No. of animals | 156 (2006)[3] |
| Annual visitors | 300,000 (2006)[3] |
| Memberships | CZA,[4]WAZA[5] |
| Website | pnhzp |
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (also called theDarjeeling Zoo) is a 67.56-acre (27.3 ha) zoo in the town ofDarjeeling in theIndian state ofWest Bengal. The zoo was opened in 1958, and an average elevation of 7,000 feet (2,134 m), is the largest high altitude zoo in India. It specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions, and has successfulcaptive breeding programs for thesnow leopard, the endangeredHimalayan wolf and thered panda. The zoo attracts about 300,000 visitors every year. The park is named afterPadmaja Naidu (1900–1975) who served as the 4thGovernor of West Bengal. The zoo serves as the central hub forCentral Zoo Authority of India's red panda program and is a member of theWorld Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
A zoo was established on 14 August 1958 in the Birch Hill neighbourhood of Darjeeling under the Department of Education of theGovernment of West Bengal with a goal to study and preserveHimalayan fauna. Its first Director and founder was Dilip Kumar Dey. Mr. Dey, who belonged to theIndian Forest Service was on deputation to the Department of Education for the express purpose of establishing a high-altitude zoological park specializing mainly in Himalayanflora andfauna. The park's prized possessions were a pair ofSiberian (Ussuri) tigers presented to theGovernment of India by Soviet PremierNikita Khrushchev in 1960. Over the years famous names in the world of Conservation have been attracted to and have visited the HZP. The zoo now contains endangered animals likesnow leopards,red pandas,gorals (mountain goat),Siberian tigers and a variety of endangered birds. However, there has been concern regarding the fact that the Himalayan animals may face a threat due to rising temperatures in the hilly area.[3]
In January 1972, the park became a registered society, with an agreement that maintenance costs would be shared by the central and state governments. In May 1993, the park was transferred to the West Bengal Department of Forests.[6] The park was renamed in 1975 whenIndira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, visited the park and dedicated it to the memory ofPadmaja Naidu.[6]
The zoo includes an off-display breeding center forsnow leopards andred pandas. Captive breeding of snow leopards was started in 1983, with leopards which were brought to the zoo fromZurich, theUnited States, andLeh-Ladakh. The red panda program was started in 1994 with individuals from theCologne Zoo, theMadrid Zoo, Belgium, and theRotterdam Zoo. In addition to these species, the zoo is breeding theHimalayan tahr,blue sheep,Himalayan monal,grey peacock pheasant,Himalayan salamander,blood pheasant andsatyr tragopan.[6] The zoo is famous for its conservation breeding programmes of the red panda, Himalayan salamander, Tibetan wolf (Himalayan Wolf), and snow leopard.
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