Archive for May, 2007

Central Zoo, Kathmandu

After a break of a few weeks I am going to return to writing about my time in Nepal. If you want to read earlier posts about my time in Nepal, click on the appropriate link in the contents section on the sidebar, or choose one of the categories.

One of the things I really wanted to do while in Kathmandu was to visit their zoo. My family and I are keen visitors to zoos and wildlife parks here in Australia. I am a life member of the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia, so it was only natural that I wanted to visit a foreign zoo. I also thought it would be a good opportunity to observe some of the native animals I had missed while exploring different parts of Nepal.

Central Zoo, Kathmandu

Central Zoo in Kathmandu in the only zoo in Nepal. It is within easy reach of most parts of the city. It was very cheap to enter; two Australian dollars if my memory is correct plus another dollar if I wanted to take photos. The day I visited was a sunny, clear day and so there were many visitors, including several large groups of school children.

Overall, my impression of this zoo is one of great disappointment. It was generally clean and well maintained but the animals on show were merely token efforts at representing some of the fauna of this beautiful country. The enclosures were obviously constructed in the late 1800s and have never been upgraded since. Heavy mesh wire cages and bars were everywhere, with no attempts at making the enclosures pleasant for the animals nor aesthetic for the human visitors.

It is a sad reminder of how zoos once were constructed. One cannot blame the zoo authorities for this sad state. Nepal has endured massive political and financial pressures in recent decades; there would have been no sense of urgency or even a perceived need to improve the overall appearance of the displays, nor to care more humanely for the animals on display.

In coming days I will feature some of the animals I photographed.