Zoological Gardens

Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)


Yann Martel famously based the animals in his novel Life of Pi on those he observed in Trivandrum’s Zoological Gardens. Shaded paths meander through woodland, lakes and native forest, where tigers, macaques, hippos, peacocks, deer, leopards and other creatures gather, though some live in small, not very open enclosures.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) attractions

1. Shri Chitra Art Gallery

0.02 MILES

Within the grounds of Trivandrum's zoo, this gallery displays paintings by the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools, and portraits by renowned Keralite…

3. Natural History Museum

0.1 MILES

In Trivandrum's Zoological Gardens complex (but not inside the zoo itself), the Natural History Museum contains hundreds of stuffed animals and birds and…

4. Napier Museum

0.12 MILES

Housed in an 1880 wooden building designed by Robert Chisholm (a British architect whose Fair Isle–style version of the Keralite vernacular shows his…

5. Kanakakunnu Palace

0.18 MILES

Built for the royal family of Travancore, this early-20th-century palace is now mostly a venue for cultural events and performances.

6. Museum of History & Heritage

0.21 MILES

Occupying a handsome 120-year-old heritage building within the Kerala Tourism complex, this intelligently presented museum traces Kerala's history and…

7. Mateer Memorial Church

0.25 MILES

A graceful landmark church, 450m west of Trivandrum's Zoological Gardens, dating from 1906.

8. State Central Library

0.4 MILES

A red-brick neo-Gothic construction, built in 1900 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.