DEHIWALA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, SRI LANKA

THE SRI LANKA EXPERIENCE: 
DEHIWALA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

My general Zoo experience is that the animals are kept quite a distance away and you never really get to interact with them, mostly you get to observe. Well, the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens is anything but that! 
I had the pleasure of not only observing the animals in a fun and safe way but also to see their individual personalities come to the fore as you will see in this review.

BIG CATS


Dehiwala Zoo has a collection of Big Cats that are quite fascinating to watch. A group of tigers are placed right next door to a black panther and jaguar who share an enclosure. These feisty felines were very playful and seemed just as interested in us, the viewer, as we were in them. 




PRIMATES

The larger primates, like the orangutan and chimpanzee, seemed less interested in interacting. Although this could be because hordes of school children were trying to get their attention by making grunting sounds (I can see why they ignored them).

The smaller primates, which the Zoo has a wide variety, were very enthused to get some attention from the passing onlooker. As you can see in the picture below, this monkey was particularly in want of a hand to grab and hold. 




WIDE VARIETY OF ANIMALS

As of the early 2000's Dehiwala Zoo had around 3,000 animals from 350 species. The largest collections are birds, fish, and mammals, they are spread out across the property. Overall this Zoo was spectacular to visit and I would say definitely worth the trip and ticket price. This particular venue does have a separate foreigner entree fee, which at the time of my visit was $15 USD. 



     


If you find yourself exploring the Sri Lanka experience and have a full day available this Zoo is a great place to see!




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