National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka (also called Colombo Zoo or Dehiwala Zoo) is a zoological garden in Dehiwala, Sri Lanka, founded in 1936. Its sprawling areas are host to a variety of animals and birds. The zoo exhibits animals but also places an emphasis on animal conservation and welfare, and education. The current Director-General of the zoo is Shermila Rajapaksha.
The zoo has 3000 animals and 350 species as of 2005. The annual revenue is LKR 40 million.The zoo dehiwala exchanges its residents with other zoological gardens for breeding purposes.
Dehiwala Zoological Garden is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Asia. It has a substantial collection of worldwide animals. It is open all year long and can be reached by public transportation.
How to Reach?
From Colombo to Dehiwala Zoo 10.3km Far away. You can choose easy way to reach Dehiwala Zoo.
What You Can Do Here?
If you visit in Dehiwala Zoo, There are lots of things to do & watch here. If you travelling Dehiwala Zoo, you can watch lots of variety of animal, animal shows & many more.
Here is a long list of major things to do in Dehiwala Zoo, Which the first time travelers can visit and experience.
Animal Shows
Elephant Show
The Dehiwala zoo is home to not just Asian but also African elephants so that the children get a chance to understand the difference between both species. Of all the exciting activities and shows organised at the zoo, the Dehiwala zoo elephant dance and show titled Hello to Elephants is the most popular with kids of all ages.
Sea Lion Performances
The sea lions' performance is displayed daily at the sea lions' pool according to a time table. Two California sea lions are fed by their keepers during this wonderful moment. Unfortunately, this sea lion was housed in a measly enclosure, with a makeshift bathtub to swim in, when not performing.
Walk-In Aviaries
people can actually walk into the cages to have a close interaction with the free-flying birds. There are a number of parrots, flightless birdies, colorful marine birds and many more of them which includes Emu, Ostrich and more.
There are mainly two of the walk-in aviaries which are duplicates of the natural habitat of the birds. Not only that, each species has its own piece of actual-world where they can feel at home. These aviaries also include a swan pond and an artificial waterfall where you could spot some splendid avian species flying around the streams of running water.
Visit the Aquarium
The entire section of the aquarium is divided into three major parts, namely, fresh water tanks, marine tank, and brackish water tank. All these tanks stay by their names and keep the exact species of the related aquatic life. Further, these tanks are subdivided into 22 more tanks which are colorfully decorated with healthy swimming fish.
Watch Butterfly Garden
What can be more beautiful to young inquisitive eyes than the sight of colourful butterflies fluttering about in a pretty landscaped garden with a stream running through the centre- A walk through the small but lovely butterfly garden at the Dehiwala zoo opens up a world of wonder for your children. Rich in flowers and feeding plants for the butteflies. The butterfly garden exhibits 30 species of butterflies with their all stages of life cycle for educational purposes.
Dehiwala Zoo Night Safari
Enough of clubs and pubs to spend a memorable night! Hit Dehiwala Zoo Night Safari which is a freshly started service by the zoo where they take their guests on a safari at night. Here, people can witness animals in their natural habitat enjoying their daily life.
They really enjoy the nocturnal activities of the distinct wildlife species and so making this safari a very demanding activity of the zoo. It is a very adventurous activity where one can bring their families and lovers to spend an enthusiastic night in the woods
