Kanpur Zoological Park, Zoological park and botanical garden in Kanpur, India
Kanpur Zoological Park is a zoo and botanical garden in Kanpur, India, with enclosures for local and foreign animal species. The grounds surround a natural lake fringed by walking paths, viewing towers and picnic areas.
The park opened in February 1974 after mayor Ratanlal Sharma transformed an overgrown forest into a controlled sanctuary. During the early years the management acquired animals through exchange deals with foreign traders.
The park carries the name of Allen Forest, a nineteenth-century British officer who loved animals. Families usually walk the flatter paths near the lake, where children watch waterfowl and parents rest on benches beneath old trees.
The main entrance sits beside the road leading northwest from the city center, with paved paths for wheelchairs and prams around the lake. A visit usually takes two to three hours, with shaded stretches under tree canopies easing the midday heat.
The management arranged an unusual trade with Dutch merchants in the 1970s, exchanging four young elephants for lions and zebras. The deal showed how difficult it was at the time to source exotic species through other means.
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