Peshawar Zoo, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
How enthralling is it to explore the world of flora and fauna through your eyes? Does it especially excite you to visit a zoo and understand and witness the behavioral patterns of the animals you grew up listening to the stories of? To see Simba and Mufasa (The Lion King characters) in reality walking, breathing, roaming, and inducing terror right in front of you?
The Zoo is a fascinating place to visit for recreational and educational purposes. The facility that houses the endangering species, in most cases, cares for them and conserves them should indeed be your top priority place of visit.
This article will discuss one of the largest Zoos in Pakistan, namely the Peshawar Zoo. It will highlight all the attractive features of this fabulous place and, step by step, reveal all the unique facets of the Peshawar Zoo.
Hence, this article will be your guide in letting The Peshawar Zoo become your top priority place of visit with kids and adults alike.
History of Peshawar Zoo
The Zoo has a rich history. The Peshawar Zoo’s construction began in 2016. Imran Khan and then Chief Mister of KPK, Pervez Khattak, attended its establishment’s seminal and inventive ceremony.
The impressively constructed Peshawar Zoo is spread on the immense land of 29 acres beside the premises of the Pakistan Forest Institute. The Peshawar Zoo was officially inaugurated after the completion of its first phase by the Government of KPK in February 2018.
The government spent almost 500 million rupees on the project, and a total of 2 billion rupees budget had been allocated for the whole project of the mighty Peshawar Zoo.
There is no doubt that the Peshawar Zoo holds its high position in the country as a site of recreation because it is a safe home of 70 species. These various species are brought from several places.
The goal is sometimes to conserve these endangered species and provide them with a safe home. Other times it is to amuse the visitors by the public display of the wild and rare species of animals. This is one of the well-known Parks in Peshawar.
Attractions Offered by Peshawar Zoo
I am wondering what is attractive in the Peshawar Zoo. This is intricate because the place is an epicenter of interest and leisure.
Peshawar Zoo’s valuable attractions are hidden in the actuality that Peshawar Zoo is more than a place to see animals. It has relaxing parks, different animal houses, restrooms, wide lush green lawns, play areas, and, most importantly, culturally rich food courts or cafeterias.
Among all the attractions offered by the enormously spaced Peshawar Zoo, some of the most amazing ones are as follows:
Lion House
A lustrous and cautiously designed moated enclosure with a deep and wide ditch filled with water as a defense against any attack. The natural habitat of the King of Jungle, the Lion, is provided in the Lion House.
The Lion House is the biggest attraction for the visitors of the Peshawar Zoo. Based on the indoor housing and proper viewing for guests, the Peshawar Zoo is, at present, home to a bold and beautiful pair of lions donated by the Lahore Zoo.
Seeing the King roaring and roaming with a magnificent walk is the most desirable amusement for the kids and adults alike.
Adjacent to the Lion House is also an equally magnificent attraction, namely, The Bear House. This HouseHouse is well-built and carefully divided into two moats and two indoor sections for two kinds of bears. The Asiatic Black Bear and the Himalaya Brown Bear.
The Asiatic Black Bear brought from the valleys of Nathiagali is an engendered species that is being conserved in the protective and watchful environment of the Peshawar Zoo.
Bird Aviary
The fascination touches its heights when you are in the middle of the Peshawar Zoo. A walk-through aviary is located right in the center of the Peshawar Zoo. Several rare and unique birds are housed here.
The diverse birds encased here include Great white pelicans, Greater flamingos, Muscovy ducks, Ring-necked pheasants, Chukar partridges, AsianHoubara bustards, Demoiselle cranes, and Black-crowned cranes, among various others.
A unique attraction to the Birds Aviary is your opportunity for adorable and picture-perfect photo clicks. You can get your photos taken with the domestic and tamed birds resting at the side of your arms or shoulders.
This usually happens under the supervision of the hired staff and is a beautiful amusement for the kids and the adults.
Leopard House
Highly organized and superintendent by the Forestry, Environment, and Wildlife Department, the Leopard House of the Peshawar Zoo is a primary source of excitement for the public.
Have you ever seen the leopards and the wildest animals from the Wild Life Documentaries so near you? Do not miss your chance to visit the Peshawar Zoo if you want to experience it.
The four roofed and enclosed spaces provide indoor shelters for the animals; the Leopard House is a well-constructed attraction of the Peshawar Zoo.
This terrific HouseHouse is home to some rarest wildest species, including the Indian leopard, Rhesus macaques, a Grey wolf, Bengal tigers, and the Snow leopard.
Animals
The presence of a diverse and large number of animals in the Peshawar Zoo makes it stand out among all the other Zoos in the country. The reason to diversify and base the Peshawar Zoological Park, better named Peshawar Zoo, is not only to promote healthy recreation.
It also encourages conservation education and nurtures researchers to research in biological sciences. A variety of animals that exist in the Peshawar Zoo are:
Mammals
The large number of mammals that are kept and looked after in the Peshawar Zoo range from Spotted deer, Grey goral, Mouflon sheep, Zebra, Blue bull, Blackbuck, Urial, Chinkara Hog deer, Bactrian Camel, Fellow deer, Rhesus monkey, llama, Wallaby, Sambar deer, Giraffe, Arabian Oryx, to the National Animal of Pakistan namely, Markhor.
Birds
You can never get tired of amusing yourself in the enormous land of the Peshawar Zoo. Other than the abovementioned birds, many more diverse birds are protected and sheltered here.
The names of those beautiful species are:
Ostrich, Black shoulder peafowl, Blue peafowl, Demoiselle crane, Common crane, Ring-necked pheasant, Silver pheasant, Golden pheasant, Lady Amherst pheasant, Vulture, Pelican, Russian buck, Common duck, Rosella red parrot, White cocktail, Budgerigar parrot, Cockatoo parrot, Blue and gold macaw, Eclectus parrot, African black crane, Scarlet macaw, and Peregrine falcon.
Reptiles
The diversification of animals just never ends here. Your knowledge of the animals is broadened as soon as you step into the gigantic Peshawar Zoo.
Reptiles are another sight of entertainment for you. The reptiles like Indian flap shell turtle, Indian spiny-tailed lizard, Indian python, Eryx Johni, Ptyas mucosa, Spalerosophis Diadema, Corn snake, Indian cobra, and Russell’s viper are cautiously kept in the glass enclosures.
The reptiles are provided the proper natural home environment and are a great source of a crowd-pleaser.
Kids Play Area
Apart from entertaining and educating yourself about the diversity of animals, the Peshawar Zoo has many other intriguing sights. The well-organized and well-equipped Kid’s Play Area is a source of great happiness and excitement for the kids.
This area excites the children and relieves the parents with several entertaining swings. The kids’ natural sources of fun and enjoyment are the slides, Merry-go-round, Monkey bars, and Teeter-Totter.
3D Motion Ride
Hold your horses; the management of the Peshawar Zoo has also got something exciting and adventurous arranged for you (the adults)!
The 3D Motion Ride is a thrilling and venturesome Ride for adults. With the 3D glasses on and sitting behind the iron bars, the 3D Motion Ride gives you pure joy but also chills you down your spine with the daunting experience of the 3D Ride.
Do not miss this Motion Ride if you plan to visit the Peshawar Zoo.
Picnic Spots
The lush green parks around the Peshawar Zoo are perfect places to rest and carry out some picnics. Open your food baskets in the grassy picnic spots of the Peshawar Zoo and refresh yourself by entertaining with food and drinks.
Camel Ride
The tamed and beautiful camel rides, giving you the vibes of the Sahara desert, are another beauty of this massively attractive place, the Peshawar Zoo. Kids riding at the back of the camels are extremely enthralled and, most of the time, refuse to get off its back!
Rest Rooms
Caring for your comfort and relaxation, the Peshawar Zoo has hugely invested in the construction of the restrooms. The restrooms are kept spick and span by the janitorial staff.
Along with the restrooms, there is also a Prayer Room area that extensively caters to the visitors’ needs.
Food Court
The food court or the cafeteria of the Peshawar Zoo is composed and well-built. It is not only huge and airy but is also kept managed. The hygiene of the food supplies and the suppliers has been well looked after.
Many food items packed, preserved, and freshly cooked are all served here at economical and budget-friendly prices. Well, this gives you the idea that you would not remain hungry!
Location of the Peshawar Zoo
Situated in the hub of tourism and the land of breathtaking landscapes, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Peshawar Zoo is one of the province’s most visited places of recreation.
The exact location of Peshawar Zoo is Pelosi Road, Qadir Abad, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Timings for Visiting the Zoo
Open all around the week from Monday to Sunday from sharp 9 a.m. till the evening prayer at 6 p.m., the Peshawar Zoo entertains hundreds of visitors throughout the week.
Tickets for Entrance
The zoo tourists are of all ages, including kids, adults, and seniors. The place places its recreational and educational charm on all the visitors.
Above all, the happiest piece of information lies in the fact that the massive Peshawar Zoo is one of the most budget-friendly amusement places. The ticket costs a total of 40 rupees per person from your pocket.
To encourage the students to visit the place more often and conveniently, the ticket per person costs even less than the general public, i-e. a total of 20 rupees per head.
This is done to facilitate and promote educational and research-based studies for the students studying conservational studies or zoology or the subjects of these fields.
However, seniors above 60 and kids below three can enter the Peshawar Zoo free of cost. No ticket fees apply to the people of this age group.
Conclusion
Thus, the Peshawar Zoo is one of the most significant, heavily educating, and strongly recreational places for kids, adults, and educators alike. The place stands out in its rich and unique conservation of fauna.
It truly is your source of entertainment and a must-visit place.
FAQs
Where is Peshawar Zoo located?
Peshawar Zoo is located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is located next to Markaz-Ul-Uloom Islamia Rahatabad.
What is the ticket for Peshawar Zoo?
The ticket for Peshawar Zoo is to be obtained at the entrance. The ticket costs 40 rupees per person for the general public. For the students, the ticket price is half, that is, 20 Rupees. However, there is no fee for children under three years and senior citizens above 60 years of age.
What are the opening hours of Peshawar Zoo?
The Peshawar Zoo opens at 9 A.M. and closes at 6 P.M.