Botanical and Zoological Garden of Tsimbazaza, Botanical garden and zoo in Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo, Madagascar

The Botanical and Zoological Garden of Tsimbazaza spreads across a hillside in Antananarivo, just north of the National Assembly building. Its artificial lake, dug on the orders of King Radama I for soldiers to bathe in, is bordered by purple water lilies, water hyacinths and clumps of zozoro. The botanical collections group plants by region: traveler's palms for Toamasina, didieraceas and pachypodiums for the arid south, and ferns, cyatheas and endemic orchids on the northern slope.

The French colonial administration founded the garden in 1925, on ground where King Radama I had earlier dug a lake for his soldiers to bathe in. It later became home to Madagascar's largest herbarium, holding roughly 80,000 plant specimens under code TAN. In November 1989 the WWF marked ten years of work in Madagascar by opening an environmental teaching centre here.

The museum displays carvings created by local communities and skeletal remains of extinct Madagascar animals like elephant birds and giant lemurs. Visitors can trace the island's biological story through these preserved remnants.

Located north of the National Assembly building, the garden features walking paths through plant and animal exhibits with informative signage throughout. Good footwear is advisable as pathways can become slippery during rainy periods.

The garden has specialized sections for southern Madagascar vegetation featuring distinct species like didieraceas and pachypodiums rarely seen elsewhere. These drought-adapted plants reveal how life thrives in the harsh southern regions of the island.