Description of the attraction
Myanmar's oldest and second largest zoo is located in Yangon. It is located north of the city center, near Lake Kandavgi. Its area is 28 hectares. In addition to animal enclosures, you can also find the Natural History Museum, the Aquarium and the Amusement Park.
The Yangon Zoo, which is visited annually by about 2.2 million guests, is home to about 1,100 animals of 200 species. Until April 2011, the zoo was managed by the Forestry Department under the Ministry of Forestry. It is now run by a private company.
The first wildlife exhibition took place in Yangon in 1882. For a long time it was located on the territory of the Main City Hospital. In 1901, the construction of the zoo began on the current site. The state allocated about 240 thousand dollars for this. The zoological garden was named Victoria Park in honor of the Queen of England, whose empire at that time included Burma. The main attraction of the zoo at the time of its opening was the white elephant of King Thibault, the last ruler of Burma, who was exiled to India by the British.
During World War II, the Yangon Zoo was plundered. In 1951, the Burmese government changed the name of this institution to Zoological Gardens and Rangoon Park. In 1962, the zoo was enlarged to its current size. In 1966, the Natural History Museum was built here. At the end of the 20th century, an aquarium appeared here, where performances with the participation of sea lions take place, and a year later - an incredibly popular amusement park.
In the first decade of the 21st century, Yangon ceased to be the capital of Myanmar. Government services have moved to a new city, Naypyidaw. In February 2008, a zoo was founded there, where many animals were transported from the Yangon Zoo: elephants, monkeys, rhinos, bears, etc.
