Gembira Loka Zoo, Animal park in Kotagede, Indonesia.
Gembira Loka Zoo is a zoological garden in Rejowinangun, Yogyakarta, on 21.8 hectares along the Gajahwong River, opened in 1956. It holds about 470 animals, among them Sumatran tigers, Javan leopards, Komodo dragons, orangutans and gibbons, plus African lions, camels and hippos. The grounds combine a botanical garden, an orchid nursery, an artificial lake, a children's park and scenic bridges over the river.
Sultan Hamengkubuwana IX founded the zoo in the mid-20th century by opening the royal animal collection Bonraja to the public. Since then the grounds have been expanded and serve as a recreation and education space for families from the wider region.
The name means happy place in Indonesian and reflects the aim of offering animals and visitors a pleasant environment. Families come here to picnic on weekends and children see large mammals up close for the first time.
The entrance lies on Jalan Veteran, with city transport and private vehicles reaching the site. The grounds stretch along the Gajahwong River, and the western entrance has squirrel exhibits. A full circuit of the zones, from primates to the Zona Cakar carnivores, takes several hours on foot.
The museum on the grounds preserves over 1,300 prepared animals from more than 200 species and documents tens of thousands of plants. Visitors often discover this collection only toward the end of their walk when they reach the exhibition rooms.
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