Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Pune Overview

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is a famous tourist and recreational attraction in Pune. The zoo expands over an area of 130 acres. The Central Zoo Authority thus identifies the Zoological Park as a considerably large Zoo. Its location near the Katraj Lake makes it a preferred attraction for picnics and outings. It is, therefore, flocked by the locals, especially the animal and nature lovers, at least every weekend. The Zoo is also considered an educational attraction as people get to learn more about the animals in the Zoo and also spend quality time with their dear ones.

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park has been home to various species of animals for quite some time. Here, they are provided an environment as close as possible to their natural environment and they are taken care of till they live there. To ease the maintenance, the Zoological Park has been divided into four section - the Katraj Lake, the Zoo, an Animal Orphanage and the Snake Park. At present, over 100 personnel are involved in maintaining the Zoo that houses a total of 362 animals including endangered species. Visitors can explore all these sections and see the animals to their heart’s content.

Things to do at Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Pune

At Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, one can explore a vast expanse of the attraction that consists of the Zoo, the Animal Orphanage, the Lake and the Snake Park. Visitors also have an option to hire a guide at a mere cost of INR 50/- per group. The size of the group can be discussed with the guide. The park is better covered on foot, but in the case of differently abled people and the elderlies who find it difficult to walk, the battery-operated vehicles available at the park can be utilized. The charges for these vehicles are different for children (INR 25/- per child) and for adults (INR 40/- per person).

The Zoo and the Snake Park pretty much require the visitors to only watch the animals from a distance. But here, they can get to see about 140 endangered species out of the 365 animals who live inside the Zoo. A section of the Zoo has been maintained to carry out physiological, behavioural studies and research on diseases and treatment of the animals. The park also arranges several programs and workshops to educate people about the animals, especially snakes, to help them get over their fears and save the endangered species.

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is the only place in Pune where one can get to see the White Tiger and the Bengal Tiger. Other than these, the zoo also houses Sloth Bears, Leopards, Monkeys, Black Bucks, Elephants, Barking Deer, Pythons, Cobras, Indian Crocodiles, Star Tortoise, Vipers, Sambhars and a variety of birds. Caring of these animals requires a lot of effort and resources, hence, Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park has opened an Orphanage where people can adopt an animal and pay for their food, and/ or treatment. Visitors can speak with the person-in-charge to know more about the process.

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Pune Timings

09:30 AM to 05:00 PM IST (Closed on Wednesdays)

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Pune Entry Fee

Children and Students – INR 10/- per head

Adults – INR 25/- per head

Foreign Nationals – INR 100/- per head

Still Camera Charges – INR 50/- per camera

Video Camera – INR 200/- per camera

How To Reach Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is located in Katraj, Pune, about 6.2 kilometres away from the City Centre. Katraj is well-connected by city roads, so public transport is a good option to reach the attraction. However, if one wishes to, they can drive/ ride their own vehicles. The route to Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park from the centre region of the city goes via NH 60/ NH 65 – Tilak Road – NH 65/ NH 60.

Katraj Bus Stop is located just a kilometre away from the attraction. City buses can be boarded to reach Katraj and from the bus stop, tourists can take an auto rickshaw or walk to the Zoological Park. Other than this, people can also book Ola or Uber rides to reach the attraction conveniently from any part of the city.

The closest bus stand to the attraction is the Swargate Bus Stand, located 6 kilometres to its north. State transport buses connecting Pune with other cities in the state can be boarded by outstation travellers. From the Swargate Bus Depot, they can use public transport to reach the Zoological Park via Deshbhakt Late Keshavrao Jedhe Flyover/ Late Namdar Jagannath Shankar Sheth Marg – NH 65. The park is located about 5.8 kilometres ahead.

Pune Airport is located approximately 23 kilometres away and it would take over an hour-and-a-half to reach Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park via Vishrantwadi Lohegaon Road – Airport Road – SH 60 – Arjun Mansukhani Path – Prince of Wales Road – NH 65. Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is located about 9.8 kilometres ahead.

The nearest railway station to Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is the Pune Railway Junction. It is located about 11 kilometres away. The route that leads to the attraction from the railway junction goes via H Prince Aga Khan Road – Sadhu Vaswani Road – Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Path – East Street – NH 65 – Pulgate Road – NH 65. Visitors then need to commute a distance of 8 kilometres to reach the attraction.