Rajgir Zoo Safari
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The Rajgir Zoo Safari or Rajgir Wildlife Safari is a Wildlife safari located in
Rajgir Rajgir, old name Rajagriha, meaning "The City of Kings," is an ancient city and university town in the Nalanda district of Bihar, India. It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty, the Maurya ...
,
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
, India, that opened to public on 16 February 2022. The zoo safari has been developed by the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt of Bihar at a cost of nearly . The zoo safari is spread over and has five zones namely Herbivore Safari, Bear Safari, Leopard Safari, Tiger Safari and Lion Safari which accommodate over 250 herbivores and carnivores. The main wild animal species includes
Chital The chital or cheetal (''Axis axis''; ), also called spotted deer, chital deer and axis deer, is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. It was first described by Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777. A moderate-sized deer, mal ...
, Sambar,
Black buck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is a medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the sh ...
, Hog Deer, Barking Deer,
Wild Boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
,
Sloth Bear The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus''), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of ...
,
Indian Leopard The Indian leopard (''Panthera pardus fusca'') is a subspecies of the leopard (''P. pardus''). It is widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. It is threatened by illegal trade of skins and body parts, and persecution due to human-leopard ...
,
Royal Bengal Tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the '' Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the largest wild cats alive today. It is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late ...
and
Asiatic Lion The Asiatic lion is a lion population of the subspecies ''Panthera leo leo''. Until the 19th century, it occurred in Saudi Arabia, eastern Turkey, Iran, Mesopotamia, and from east of the Indus River in Pakistan to the Bengal region and the Narm ...
. Considered to be one of its kind, the Zoo Safari has natural forest varying from large grasslands and bamboo thickets to dense Sal Forest. Visitors can also enjoy seeing variety of bird and butterfly species here. One can see different water birds like
kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...
s,
cormorant Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) ado ...
s in the natural ponds present in the safari. Apart from watching wild animals in forest, efforts has been taken to sensitize the visitors about wildlife and their conservation. One of its main attraction is a selfie point with life-size wild animal statues. It has an interpretation centre with videos of wild animals. It also has a painting series showing Wildlife in their habitat, challenges faced by Wildlife for survival and role of forest department in Forest and wildlife Conservation. It also has a digital butterfly zone, an orientation centre, and a 180 degree 3D theatre.


Location

The zoo is located in the
Nalanda Nalanda (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: , ) was a renowned Buddhism, Buddhist ''mahavihara'' (great monastery) in medieval Magadha (Mahajanapada), Magadha (modern-day Bihar), eastern India. Widely considered to be am ...
district, around 85 km southeast of Patna. It is surrounded by the Vaibhargiri and Swarnagiri hills on both side. It is about half a kilometre from the Rajgir-Gaya road in Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary. It is 101 km (approx) from the Bihar Capital City, Patna by Road. The nearest airport to the safari is Gaya Airport which is 71 km from the safari by road. The safari is also accessible through the Railway Station. The nearest Railway Station is Rajgir Railway station. Gaya Railway station is 60 km away from the Safari by Road.


Features

Rajgir Zoo Safari has enclosures for Herbivores, Bear, Leopard, Tiger and Lion. Wildlife Enclosure has facilities required for housing of wild animals in the safari. It includes construction of retiring rooms, Enclosure boundary, Safari Road, Double gates etc. Wildlife habitat improvement work and other work related to the enrichment of safari has also been carried out to give near- to-habitat experience to the wild animal as well as the tourist visiting the safari. Other necessary infrastructure includes World class Wildlife Hospital, Commissary, Post-Mortem Room, Quarantine facilities and Administrative building.


Attractions

Rajgir Zoo Safari offers state-of-the-art amenities that significantly enhance the visitor experience, earning praise from students and nature enthusiasts alike. The Interpretation Centre and Orientation Centre feature interactive and engaging audio-visual displays, bringing nature closer and providing valuable educational insights. Visitors can embark on a cinematic journey into the wild at the 180-Degree Theatre, immersing themselves in breathtaking visuals. The Shapath Stambha stands as a symbol of the commitment to wildlife conservation, underscoring the safari’s dedication to preserving nature. Additionally, specially modified safari vehicles are designed for optimal viewing, making the experience even more enjoyable, especially for tourists who have explored other safaris across India.


See also

* Etawah Safari Park * Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park


References

{{authority control Zoos in India 2017 establishments in Bihar Rajgir Tourist attractions in Nalanda district