Timings :
Summer : 8.30 A.M to 5.30 P.M
Winter : 9.00 A.M to 5.00 .PM
Distance : 6 kilometers from Tirupati RTC Bus stand and 6.5 kilometers from Tirupati Railway Station.
Entry Ticket:
Adult : Rs.10/- per head
Children (aged between 5 & 12) : 5/-
Rs.5 Per Head for organised Schools.
The concept of exhibiting wild animals has changed from cramped cages to vast natural and simulated enclosures at Sri Venkateshwara National Park. Zoos which are based on this concept are called zoological parks.
The Andhra Pradesh forest department which has two of India’s best zoos to its credit at Hyderabad and Vishakapatnam has set up its third venture at Tirupati , the abode of Lord Venkateswara . This temple town which is visited by about 40000 people per day from all corners of the country with a number of academic and professional educational institutions , is ideally suited to achieve the objectives of an ideal zoological park.
The foundation for Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park was laid on 29th September 1987 . Located at the foot of the Seshachalam hills the park extends over an area of more than 5500 acres (2200 hectares) . Few other parks can boast of such a scenic location and a diversity of endemic flora and fauna. Considering the background and the attitude of the people visiting this famous temple town, the zoological park has been developed on a spiritual theme .The message of conservation of nature with all its diversity is conveyed by highlighting the role of animal and plant life in Indian culture , mythology and literature. It also reminds the modern man of the importance given to wild life by our ancestors.
The unique aspect of this zoo is that all the animals that have been exhibited in this zoo are those which are mentioned in our ancient epics and manuscripts such as the Ramayana , Mahabharatha , Panchatantra etc… , exotic or foreign species have been avoided . The main areas and enclosures in the zoo have been named after famous locations and personalities mentioned in Indian mythology and epics like the Ramayana & the Mahabharata. e.g.: Kishkintha , Jambavantha-van , Airavata-van…
S V Zoological Park is equipped with a hospital ,quarantine block and a feed store to cater to the needs of the animals.
An assistant surgeon takes care of the hospital which is stocked with medicines for the day to day care of the animals. He is supported by one assistant too. If they are any animal mortalities , the carcasses are subjected to a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death and if the cause of death is preventable, necessary steps are taken to prevent further deaths.
Newly acquired animals are first kept in the quarantine block and after the confirmation that they are free of any disease and only after they are fully acclimatized to captivity , they are let into their respective enclosures. The quarantine block is also useful in isolation of any sick animals which maybe affected by an infectious disease.
The entire feed requirement of the zoo each day , is received at the feed store,thoroughly checked and cleaned . It is distributed to the various enclosures as per the schedule under the watchful eye of a zoo sergeant.
The fodder requirement of the zoo is usually met from outside sources , but fodder plots are raised in the zoo to meet the exigencies. The vast area and water resources available with zoo, permit to the raising of good fodder plots. Fruits like papaya are also grown here to be given as a diet supplement to the primates and other animals.
Shelters have been provided at some places in the zoo to give the perfect ambience for the tired visitor to rest, after going through the lengthy stretches. These shelters also have been designed to go with the mythological and cultural theme on which the zoo has been built.
Very few cultures have been so deeply associated with animals and trees as that of Indian religious ideologies namely Hinduism and Buddhism. Ancient Indians had recognized the animals’ right to coexist with man and therefore they were loved, nurtured and even worshipped. In order to impress upon the commoners about their importance, the animals were given the status of gods and goddesses. They declared that the Almighty incarnates in different animal forms. The kings and the emperors opted for different animals in their emblems. Many festivals were/are observed in honor of several animals. In order to inculcate love for animals among children, animals were made heroes in stories. The rulers gave them prime position in art and architecture.
Unfortunately, today we are neither adopting ancient Indians’ compassionate attitude, nor scientific approach of the westerners towards these animals and hence we are heading towards a catastrophe. The activities of ancient Indians were woven around the animals. Therefore, they knew the happenings of animal world as much as today’s ardent student of zoology.
This vast knowledge has been recorded in the scriptures of the time. The Upanishads contain detailed descriptions of horses and cattle. There are also religious books dedicated to a specific animal. Though these writings are older than any other scriptures of the world, they contain very modern concepts such as, origin of life, organic evolution and environmental science.
Without any scientific aids, the ancient Indians calculated that the animals came into existence 43,20,000 years ago. On the basis of the major events that took place on the earth, this period is divided into four eras. The Kritayuga,Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga,and Kaliyuga. It, is of great interest that the modern zoologists, by using most Sophisticated equipment have come to the conclusion that the earth has passed through four zoological eras, namely Arshean, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.
The concept of Dashavatara of Lord Vishnu, in a way represents the organic evolution theory. In order to indicate the aquatic origin of the animals, the Lord incarnates in the form of a Mathsya, a fish. This is followed by an amphibious animal Kurma, a turtle. Third incarnation is Varaha, a boar which is completely a terrestrial animal. Narasimha represents a beast’s attempt to attain a human form.
The earliest Hindu religious work, the ‘Rigveda’, refers to some twenty species of birds but its anonymous compilers might be familiar with many more .Legends and myths grew around certain familiar species. The Brahminy duck for example, became the symbol of fidelity.
The abiding sacredness of animals was rooted in a deep sense of identification. This was derived from the Hindu-Buddhist theory of transmigration, according to which the soul moves back and forth between different modes of existence, animals, human and superhuman. This was extended by the corresponding belief that all forms of life partake equally in the universal life force, a belief that was reinforced by Buddhist and Jain teachings. These religions also introduced the concept of ahimsa (nonviolence), prohibiting harm to any living being.
How to reach Sri Venkateshwara National Park / Zoological Park
Chittoor is well connected by road and rail. There are buses from other parts of the state as well as the neighbouring states, which take you to Chittoor.
From Chennai: Chittoor is at a distance of 155 kms from Chennai and takes about 3 hours to reach. There are buses from here and Route No.144 bus from Chennai’s Koyembedu Bus Stand (CMBT) or a train from Lalbagh takes you to Katpadi. There are plenty of buses from Katpadi to Chittoor. Boarding a government-run bus is the best option to avoid too many stops by the private buses. The nearest airport to Chittoor is at Chennai, which has many international and domestic flights from most of the parts of the world. From here, you can reach Chittoor either by bus or train.
From Bangalore: Chittoor is at a distance of 173 kms from Bangalore and it takes nearly 3 ½ hours to reach here. You can board any KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) bus from Bangalore Majestic bus stand going to Tirupati, Nellore, Vijayawada and Guntur. Getting down near CTR is convenient as there are local transportations available, which can take you to your desired destination. Don’t take the private bus “Kalasipalya” as there are too many stops. There is an airport at Bangalore, which is connected to many other states in India.
From Hyderabad: Chittoor is at a distance of 580 kms from Hyderabad and takes 10 hours approximately for you to reach here. There are nearly 3 buses from JBT (Jubilee Bus Terminal), the TTS Travels runs a bus from Ameerpet cross roads which usually runs everyday, the APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) has 7 buses from MGBS (Mahatma Gandhi Bus Stand). There is a train, Venkatadri Express, which starts from Kachiguda at 8:05 PM and reaches Chittoor by morning at around 9:00 AM. There are also domestic and international flights to Hyderabad from where you can travel to Chittoor either by bus or train.
From Tirupati: Tirupati is just 72 kms from Chittoor and there are APSRTC buses that ply every 10 minutes to and from Chittoor. Main entrance
Address :
Sri Venkateshwara National Park,
Alipiri Bypass Road,
Tirupati,
Andhra Pradesh.