Bahawalpur ZOO

Bahawalpur Zoo (Urdu: بہاولپور چڑیاگھر), established in 1942, is a 25-acre (10 ha)zoological garden in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.^[1] It is managed by the Government of Pakistan.^[4]

The zoo has occasionally bred and supplied wild cats, such as lions and Bengal tigers, to other zoos in the country. It also has an aquarium and zoological museum with stuffed birds, reptiles and mammals.^[2]

Contents   [hide]  1 History 2 Exhibits 3 Animals 4 Conservation 5 References

[edit]History

Bahawalpur zoo was set up in 1942 by the former Aamir of Bahawalpur, Sir Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi.^[5] It was then named "Sher Bagh" (meaning Lion Garden).^[6] In 1955, the administration of the zoo was transferred to the Department of Agriculture. From 1977 to 1982, the zoo remained under the control of the Department of the Live Stock Punjab.^[1]

[edit]Exhibits

The exhibits are a mix between old style cages and newer moated enclosures. One older exhibit houses a pair of domestic cats,jackals, and an Indian civet cat. Crocodiles are kept in a large outdoor enclosure. lions, tigers, and hyenas are housed in more modern moated enclosures. A large pond in the zoo is home to pelicans, cranes, and geese. Blackbuck, hog deer, nilgai, European red deer,chinkara, and European mouflon are all housed in large paddocks.^[7]

The zoo also includes a museum with stuffed animals, including what is claimed to be the last lion shot in the Punjab.^[7]

[edit]Animals

Aves Budgerigar Chukar Partridge Common Pheasant Demoiselle Crane Great White Pelican Greylag Goose Indian Peafowl Rock Pigeon Rose-ringed Parakeet Silver Pheasant Western Crowned Pigeon Wild Turkey

Mammals Asian Black Bear Bengal Tiger Black Buck Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) Chital (Spotted Deer) Hog Deer Himalayan Brown Bear Llama Mouflon Nilgai (Blue Bull) Plains Zebra Red Deer Red-necked Wallaby Rhesus Macaque Sambar Small Indian Civet

Reptiles Mugger Crocodile Spur-thighed Tortoise

[edit]Conservation

This zoo has bred various threatened species of Asian black bear, Bengal tiger, blackbuck, hog deer, and lion. Others like chinkara(Indian gazelle), chital (spotted deer), and nilgai (blue bull) are also breeding successfully in the zoo.^[5]

[edit]References

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1. ^ ^a b c d "Bahawalpur Zoo Introduction". mybahawalpur.com. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
2. ^ ^a b "Zoological Gardens In Bahawalpur". travelspedia.com. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
3. ^ ^a b Shaheen, Arshad (24 April 2011). "Bahawalpur zoo’s mane attraction goes underfed".tribune.com. Bahawalpur: The Express Tribune. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
4. ^ "Zoos and Breeding Centers of Pakistan". wildlifeofpakistan.com. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
5. ^ ^a b "Bahawalpur Zoological Garden". thebahawalpur.com. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
6. ^ Arif, Shahzaib (17 July 2011). "Animal farm". dawn.com. Bahawalpur: Dawn News. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
7. ^ ^a b Heron, Anthony (May 2009). "BahaWalpur Zoo". goodzoos.com. GoodZoos. Retrieved 21 July 201.