Gembira Loka Zoo, Animal park in Kotagede, Indonesia.
Gembira Loka Zoo is an animal park in Kotagede near Yogyakarta that stretches along the Gajah Wong River and houses more than 100 animal species as well as numerous plant varieties. The site connects green areas by the water with enclosures, paths and a small natural history museum.
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.
Access is available daily from half past seven in the morning until five in the afternoon, and public transport stops near Veteran Street. A complete walk through the site takes around three to four hours depending on pace and breaks.
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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