In October during the Dussehra holidays, I visited Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur. It is also called Nahargarh Zoological Park. The prime attraction of this visit was the recently shifted Jaipur Zoo, from Ramniwas Garden near the Albert Hall museum to the Nahargarh Biological Park, Kukas, on Delhi Highway. This park has been in the making for the last few years and it opened in 2016. It is one of the leading biological parks in India.
I visited a part of this park having few enclosures with lions and tigers some 5 years ago. The Zoo in Jaipur being small forced the authorities to shift a few cats to this place. I’m not sure if this section is still open to the public. I’m sharing a few pictures from that trip.
Visiting Nahargarh Biological Park Zoo requires planning as it is 20 KM from the city center; a 45 minutes drive. I have wanted to visit the park because I have trekked in the vicinity many times. It’s a beautiful terrain that occupies 80 hectares.
The announcement board on the highway is subdued and one is likely to miss it. A narrow road from the highway leads to its entrance concealed by the Aravali hills. The road ends at a roundabout where you can purchase Nahargarh Biological and Zoological Park entry tickets.
It is here you can either park your vehicle or decide to take it further by paying extra charges. You can only drive a kilometer and a half further from this point. My friend who had visited here before advised me to park the car in the parking lot. I hired an e-rickshaw available at a flat rate of Rs 60 one way.
The road which leads from the roundabout to the zoo entrance is cemented. Many people choose to walk this distance. Still-camera is charged steeply and the entrance ticket is checked twice before you enter the zoo.
I was delighted with the well-planned layout and landscaping of the zoo area. One gets a feeling of an expansive and open space.
The first open-air cage was that of a white tiger. I’m assuming a reason for placing the white tiger away from other cats. It looks like the aim is to delight and wow visitors since the white tiger is not common in a zoo.
One gets to see a variety of animals from sloth bear, crocodile, emu, civet, porcupine to various species of deer. Information about each species is also placed on a board adjacent to the enclosure.
You will find benches placed along the walkway in case you want to sit & relax. There’s a resting hut along with a public toilet, however, the upkeep of the toilet is poor. It looked like it wasn’t cleaned for days and there were signs of vandalism.
In a zoo, the prime attraction is either exotic animals like giraffes, Elephant,s and so on. However, in Nahargarh Biological Park it is big cats. The anticipation for the cat family starts building up when one notices painted paw marks on the walkway.
Enclosures of the cat family are placed side by side. There is a lion, a Bengal tiger, and a panther.
The last section of this zoo is that of a fox family.
Is Nahargarh Biological Park a new Zoo in Jaipur? Overall, the zoo at Nahargarh Biological Park is bigger and better than the old Jaipur Zoo. The bird section is yet to be shifted to here which is a dampener since it doesn’t complete the zoo experience. From the perspective of animals, the topography is natural with no human settlement around.
Improvements can be made in a couple of areas. I do feel that there is a need for better facilities, especially food and water. Currently, there is no canteen or food court for visitors. In summer the lack of drinking water will be a menace; make sure you are carrying enough water with you on your visit. There are talks of introducing Zebra and Giraffes as well under the animal exchange program from Kenya but nothing has been finalized yet. The biological park section is slated to open in the second half of 2018.
Lion Safari in Nahargarh Biological Park And Ticket Charges
The government has plans to start Lion Safari in Nahargarh Zoological Park starting in October 2018 and in all likelihood, it will start as planned. Update August 2019 – Having sought lions from Gujrat, the lion safari has started in Nahargarh Biological Park. The lion safari ticket price is Rs 250 per person for Indians and Rs 500 for foreigners; it is a combo ticket availing a visit to the Nahargarh Biological Park. The time for the lion safari is 9 AM to 4 PM.
Update August 2019: Recently, among the list of animals in Nahargarh Zoological Park, a pair of hippopotami has been added.
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Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park Entry Ticket
Nahargarh Zoological Park Entry Ticket is priced at Rs 20 for students, Rs 50 for Indian adults, and Rs 200 for foreigners. Kids under 7 years have free admission. Charges for a car are Rs 200 and camera Rs 600. A video camera is charged at Rs 1000.
Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park Ticket Booking Online
Nahargarh Zoological Park ticket booking can be online https://sso.rajasthan.gov.in/signin
Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park Timings
The time of Nahargarh Zoological Park is 8.30 AM to 5.30 PM. Nahargarh Zoological Park is closed on Tuesdays. Nahargarh Zoological Park’s timings on Sunday are the same as on other days.
Best Time To Visit Nahargarh Zoological Park
It is recommended to visit this park during the early morning in the summer months, March to September. October- February is the ideal month to enjoy a visit to this zoo as the weather is pleasant.
How to reach Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park by bus?
You can also reach Nahargarh Biological Park with the Jaipur city bus system; it won’t be the most suitable or comfortable mode of transport though. Check with the bus heading towards Amer Kukas or Kunda. Do note that you need to walk for 1-2 km to the entry gates of the park, from the Jaipur-Delhi highway, the drop point for those arriving from Jaipur. Alternatively, you can take a bus ride from Jaipur to Amer and hire an autorickshaw to Nahargarh Biological Park.
You can also club your visit to Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park with Tao Experiences
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JaipurThruMyLens 
So informative! Thanks for this pictorial treat as pictures speak louder than words. 🙂
Loved the cemented entrance…seems magical!
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Happy to know you liked it. Certainly, pictures speak louder than words. Yet, we have writers who craft words which create visuals in our mind. 🙂
On cemented entrance…Are you referring to the fountain in the picture? I’m not sure if you like visiting a zoo, have you seen the zoo in San Diego? Probably, one of the best zoo in the US!
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Yes I visited the zoo in San Diego. It also has one of the best beaches and many more touristy attractions like the Sea World, where trained whales and dolphins put up a spectacular show. I have also visited the zoo in Darjeeling, the largest high altitude zoo and Kaziranga Park…wow! you have stirred some wonderful memories!
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Wow! It’s interesting to know all this. Looks like you really love to travel and explore. 🙂
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Yes… That’s true 🙂 Some blessings He showered while some He took away. That’s life dear friend.
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🙂
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Great post ! Wonderful place to visit !!
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Thanks, Megala. Happy to know you liked it.
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Looks like they have done a lot of work on the aesthetics part. Most of the zoos in the country are not well maintained. I visited the Jaipur zoo on my trip but was disappointed with the layout. This zoo looks much more promising… Thanks for the info.. 🙂
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Rajat, you are so right. Nahargarh Zoological Park is patterned on International benchmarks. Jaipur Zoo came into being at the end of 19th century, therefore, was quite small and not as per required standards. Nothing much could have been done on that part which is why moving to another location was the only solution. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rajat. 🙂
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That is such a neat and clean park. Unlike other parks in India. Nahargarh once again reminds me of the movie Sonar Kella where an important scene took place in Nahargarh Fort.
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Hi Balaka, I think I should have mentioned that even though this place shares its name with Nahargarh Fort but they are situated many kilometers from each other. I agree it’s a neat and well-designed park in line with the international standards. I have not seen this movie but I’m sure it must have been a legendary one. Was this movie directed by Satyajit Ray?
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Yes, this was directed by Satyajit Ray. I read that this is away from the fort. The name just brought back memories that is why I mentioned.
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Sonar Killa always pop up whenever Bengalis talk about Rajasthan. I’m sure it must be a hugely popular movie. There is no doubt about the fact that Satyajit Ray was one of the greatest movie directors in India. His contribution to non-commercial movie scene is profound. BTW, what was the theme on which this movie centered?
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It was a detective movie..a child was kidnapped and taken to Jaisalmer..
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Ah! sounds interesting. Thanks for the input, Balaka 🙂
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My pleasure. IF possible, do watch. It is on YouTube with subtitles
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That’s great. Will do. Thanks for the info. 🙂
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🙂
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Its been ages since I went to a zoo, that too one that was as expansive as this one. Glad to see that here the animals at least have enough space to freely move around. And those signboards with animal faces – cute!
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I did not know that there was a zoo in Nahargarh
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Rajiv, although this zoo shares its name with the fort but it is located on the Delhi Highway much before the city. On a different note, Nahargarh Fort now has a wax museum and an open art gallery. In my opinion both of which are marketing gimmicks.
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Very informative post. The zoo looks quite clean and spacious.
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Thanks, Indrajit. Absolutely. Have you ever been to Jaipur?
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Yes, about 10 years ago.
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Well I guess a lot has changed in a decade. I assume you are permanently based in Baghdad.
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I wish to visit Jaipur, especially after seeing Jaipur through your lens. I am currently based in Baghdad due to my professional commitments.
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I’m sure you will enjoy your trip whenever that happens. 😊 I guess Baghdad is much safer to live now in comparison to two three years ago.
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Yes, Baghdad is pretty safe city. There is a good security system inside the city.
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Happy to hear this. 👍😊
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This is not an ordinary zoo when compared with the typical zoo in a Western city. Spaciousness and freedom to roam are the attractive features, which I admire. Thank you for this highly informative post with all its great pictures, Arv!
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The best part is that this zoo is amidst wilderness therefore it’s closer to their natural habitat… atleast for some species.
I suppose there are many good zoo in Canada.
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The zoos in Canada have improved in recent years. More and more one is turning away from keeping the animals in cages.
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That’s great to hear. That’s in line with the global trend. 😃
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You provided the zoo with informative details, Arv. The one that attract me the most is the white tiger. Normally, when I visited the zoo in Indonesia, the tigers usually are brown with the black pattern, mostly like Royal Bengal Tiger that you posted above. Thanks for the new knowledge that you provided here.
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Nurul, white tiger is certainly rare quite like white snow leopards. I suppose you have similar zoo in Indonesia. May be bigger?
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I think, they’re probably the same. Not really sure about the size. Since I didn’t pay so much attention while I was there, considering it has been ages, probably decades since the last time I visited the zoo in Indonesia 😀
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Probably. I guess you are more updated with other countries considering the fact you travel a lot these days. 🙂
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You’re probably right. And Indonesia is also too big to explore all the regions. Living there for years won’t be enough too 😀
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I guess it holds true for India too 😊 Too big to see in your lifetime!
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Nice to read. Amazing.
Very informative post.
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Happy to know you liked it, Rupam 🙂
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Such a lovely post filled with great photos! Looks like a wonderful place to visit! Thanks for the information!
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Wow ! Another face of Pink City Jaipur !! I have visited Jaipur several times but never heard about it . Thank you fr sharing , will visit next time for sure
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You have? Did you visit Jaipur recently?
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I observe of late that zoos are beginning to look much much better all over India. This is a dramatic shift from the zoos of my childhood days!
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Perks of living in a globalized world, Lalitha?
I know in the old day’s zoo used to be quite small with cramped cages. Also, a lot of importance is being given to the landscaping as well. In which city did you grow up, Lalitha?
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Hyderabad…it has a cool zoo as well 🙂
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Nice place to visit with family. There are a number of animals also. Loved the pictures… 🙂
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I’m sure you will enjoy visiting this zoo, Maniparna.
I suppose you have a nice zoo in Kolkatta.
🙂
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Yes, visited it this winter. I have some pictures as well…thanks for the reminder 😀 Here comes the inspiration for my next post…
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Haha. Do you even need reminder or prompt? You’re a great blogger.
I have never heard about Kolkata zoo before, so that will be awesome to read, Maniparna 😊
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Thank you. I admire your writing style and the way you present your blogs. You are a great blogger too…the feeling is mutual… 🙂
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Happy to hear this, Maniparna. I don’t consider myself a great blogger because there’s still so much to learn and do. I guess it’s only when you have”arrived” and done with the learning curve you can sit back and consider yourself as a great blogger. Anyways, thanks for bestowing this title. Yes, I guess it’s mutual.
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Learning is a lifelong process for all of us. Everyday, we learn something new, however insignificant it might be…. isn’t it?
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That’s true. It’s a regular process. 😃👍
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Amazing place, Arv, thanks for sharing those impressions! Marcus
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After this i.want to visit!
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This zoo looks really nice with the different animals! Hopefully they’ll add more animals & include better facilities for the guests!
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Lovely pictures 🙂 what is the speed limit there since it takes so long to drive 20 km?
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The reason why it takes too long is that the route passes through densely populated areas. In some areas, the average speed is not more than 20 KMPH. Once you reach the highway section, the average speed is 80 KMPH.
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Thank you for sharing your visit to the zoological park with us. I love to learn about animals and I’m glad that they have open space and not cramped tiny cages.
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Thanks, Kristy. Do you visit zoo often? BTW which city do you live in?
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Sorry I missed this question – I live near London. I don’t go to the zoo often, but on a recent trip to a wedding in the north of England, we noticed a zoo on the way back. The next day, we went home via the zoo and were able to learn about the animals there.
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That’s interesting, Kirsty.
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Some interesting information, RS200 for entry. At first I thought that’s a bit expensive, especially if you are a tourist. Then I checked the conversion rate, just over £2. Visit a zoo in the UK and you would expect to pay between £12 and £22 (RS1100 – 2000)
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Mike, conversions throw up some interesting information. For an individual earning income in Rs. Spending in Euro and Dollar is an expensive proposition. But on scale of 1:1 2 sounds better than 200. 😜
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