History

Nandankanan had a fascinating start. Some timberland authorities considered including some uncommon wild creatures and uncommon orchids average to our State in the Odisha structure in World Agricultural Fair 1960 at Delhi. It was considered that uncommon creatures from Odisha would surely make the Odisha structure a group puller. Since the acquisition of wild creature and their vehicle to Delhi would be a costly undertaking, in this manner it was chosen to incorporate little creatures like Mouse deer, Leopard feline, Wild feline, Pangolin, Racket-followed drongo, Flying Squirrel, Hill Mynah, Peacock, and so forth The thought was tremendously valued at the more elevated level and a choice was taken to have a smaller than expected zoo in the World Agricultural Fair. Since there was not really an ideal opportunity for the catch of wild creatures from the wild, it was chosen to move toward people who are in control of the wild creatures and acquire something very similar via recruit or buy for the presentation. Appropriately, the Divisional Forest Officers were told to secure the wild creatures for dispatch to Delhi. Luckily, inside a month a few wild creatures for example two Spotted deer, two Barking deer, two Blackbuck, one Mouse deer, one Leopard feline, one Flying squirrel, one Racket-followed drongo, one Hornbill, two Parrots, two Hill Mynah, one Peacock, one Mongoose were gathered. The then Divisional Forest Officer, Deogarh (Late G.M. Das) caught one Pangolin (Scaly insect-eating animal), two porcupines from the timberlands. Also, Late P. Mohapatra, the then Divisional Forest Officer, Puri caught a couple of wild pigs and a Python from the woods. Every one of these creatures was shipped off Delhi and displayed inside Odisha Pavilion in the World Agricultural Fair.

Lamentably, the State Finance Department mentioned genuine criticisms regarding beginning a zoo in Odisha as it would include a great deal of consumption for its foundation and support. Such an endeavor by then of time required consideration in the authoritative get-together and exceptional spending arrangement. Meanwhile, the wild creatures showed up at Bhubaneswar by May 1960, and their upkeep and taking care of represented a major issue for the woods office. Luckily, the late P. Mohapatra, Divisional Forest Officer, Puri, and the Late G.K. Das, Divisional Forest Officer, Deogarh acted the hero. With their co-activity and endeavors, impermanent designs with brushwood and covered rooftops were built at Khandagiri close to Bhubaneswar to shield these wild creatures. The Jain people group additionally approached with the assistance of taking care of these wild creatures at Khandagiri. These creatures at Khandagiri pulled in countless guests both from Bhubaneswar town and adjoining towns. On the sixth day Dr. H.K. Mahatab, the then Chief Minister of Odisha was satisfied to see these wild creatures. He quickly examined with the Forest Minister, Forest Secretary, Finance Secretary, Chief Secretary, and Chief Conservator of Forests in regards to the foundation of a Zoo in Odisha.

At first, it was proposed to have the zoo at Ghatikia near Khandagiri and Udayagiri caverns. It would likewise give a diversion to the metropolitan populace of Bhubaneswar. Later it was felt that Ghatikia would present water issues later on. A zoo needs a ton of water to address the issue of creatures, cleaning of creatures sheds, and for different purposes. The at that point Range Officer, Chandaka recommended the Jujhagarh woodland block on Kanjia lake close to Barang Railway station as the best area. The then Chief Conservator of Forests, Divisional Forest Officer, Puri, Range Officer, Chandaka, and D.P. Ghosh, Forest Ranger visited the spot and were dazzled with its grand magnificence. Kanjia lake with its tremendous territory more than 125 sections of land of low and undulating slopes of Jujhagarh and Krushnanagar D.P.F.S. with rich green vegetation on the two sides of the lake introduced a beautiful sight. Jujhagarh Forest Block had every one of the benefits for finding the zoo with the exception of correspondence from Bhubaneswar and the solitary methodology was through Chandaka covering a distance of 38 Km.

A board of trustees comprising Dr. Radhanath Rath, Sri G.C. Run, and Sri D.N. Choudhury, the at that point Minister of Forests, Secretary, Forest, and the Chief Conservator of Forests individually visited the spot. They were a lot intrigued with its stylish excellence and suggested the area of the zoo there with the development of a straight street (a distance of 14 to 15 Kms.) from Bhubaneswar. Appropriately, it was chosen to find the Zoological Park in Jujhagarh Forest Block, the Botanical nursery in Krushnanagar Forest Block, and create Kanjia lake for Boating and Angling. The Director, Fisheries consented to build up a bit of the lake for raising different sorts of fish for guests to see. At first, it was chosen to keep spotted deer, yelping deer, blackbucks, wild pigs, sambars, nilgai, and bears in open-walled areas. Different creatures like the panther feline, mongoose, flying squirrel, porcupine, python, monkeys, hyena, jackal, civet feline, pangolin, wilderness feline, parrots, mynah, and different birds in appropriate confines. It was chosen to invest amounts of energy to catch tigers and panthers which could be shown in reasonable confines for the present and the appropriate roomy fenced-in areas would be worked for them later on. It was additionally settled to raise a decent bloom garden and to plant significant species and restorative plants of Odisha inside the proposed Botanical nursery in Krushnanagar D.P.F.

It was thought about to make nature reenacting fake streams and cascades by siphoning water from the lake to a supply on the peak and permitting the water to move through these winding streams and find creature fenced-in areas along these streams with the goal that the stream would go about as an obstruction. Guests would see the wild creatures from the opposite side of the stream. In like manner, an arrangement was attracted however was to be deserted on account of the significant expense. All things considered, it was chosen to build walled areas, with steel network fencing on three sides and a wide water canal on the fourth side so guests can see wild creatures from the canal side. An organization of streets would be developed and creature-fenced-in areas, just as creature confines, would be situated along these streets. The development exercises were begun once again a little territory, in any case to house a few herbivores like Cheetahs, Sambar, Barking deers, and a couple of birds.

On 29th December 1960, Sri S.K. Patil, the at that point Minister of Food and Agriculture, Govt. of India introduced the new Biological Park initiated as “Nandankanan” the grand nursery of God. In this way, a Botanical Garden came up in the year 1963. The Nandankanan Biological Park was renamed as Nandankanan Zoological Park on the suggestion of the Odisha Legislative Assembly Committee on Estimates, 1981-82. The zoo began developing gradually with the expansion of new walled in areas and the principal tiger was brought to the zoo in the year 1964 from the Alipore Zoo in Calcutta alongside a couple of African lions, a jaguar, and a couple of muggers during the All India Congress Committee meeting at Bhubaneswar. Nandankanan had a fascinating start. Some timberland authorities considered including some uncommon wild creatures and uncommon orchids average to our State in the Odisha structure in World Agricultural Fair 1960 at Delhi. It was considered that uncommon creatures from Odisha would surely make the Odisha structure a group puller. Since the acquisition of wild creature and their vehicle to Delhi would be a costly undertaking, in this manner it was chosen to incorporate little creatures like Mouse deer, Leopard feline, Wild feline, Pangolin, Racket-followed drongo, Flying Squirrel, Hill Mynah, Peacock, and so forth The thought was tremendously valued at the more elevated level and a choice was taken to have a smaller than expected zoo in the World Agricultural Fair. Since there was not really an ideal opportunity for the catch of wild creatures from the wild, it was chosen to move toward people who are in control of the wild creatures and acquire something very similar via recruit or buy for the presentation. Appropriately, the Divisional Forest Officers were told to secure the wild creatures for dispatch to Delhi. Luckily, inside a month a few wild creatures for example two Spotted deer, two Barking deer, two Blackbuck, one Mouse deer, one Leopard feline, one Flying squirrel, one Racket-followed drongo, one Hornbill, two Parrots, two Hill Mynah, one Peacock, one Mongoose were gathered. The then Divisional Forest Officer, Deogarh (Late G.M. Das) caught one Pangolin (Scaly insect-eating animal), two porcupines from the timberlands. Also, Late P. Mohapatra, the then Divisional Forest Officer, Puri caught a couple of wild pigs and a Python from the woods. Every one of these creatures was shipped off Delhi and displayed inside Odisha Pavilion in the World Agricultural Fair.

Lamentably, the State Finance Department mentioned genuine criticisms regarding beginning a zoo in Odisha as it would include a great deal of consumption for its foundation and support. Such an endeavor by then of time required consideration in the authoritative get-together and exceptional spending arrangement. Meanwhile, the wild creatures showed up at Bhubaneswar by May 1960, and their upkeep and taking care of represented a major issue for the woods office. Luckily, the late P. Mohapatra, Divisional Forest Officer, Puri, and the Late G.K. Das, Divisional Forest Officer, Deogarh acted the hero. With their co-activity and endeavors, impermanent designs with brushwood and covered rooftops were built at Khandagiri close to Bhubaneswar to shield these wild creatures. The Jain people group additionally approached with the assistance of taking care of these wild creatures at Khandagiri. These creatures at Khandagiri pulled in countless guests both from Bhubaneswar town and adjoining towns. On the sixth day Dr. H.K. Mahatab, the then Chief Minister of Odisha was satisfied to see these wild creatures. He quickly examined with the Forest Minister, Forest Secretary, Finance Secretary, Chief Secretary, and Chief Conservator of Forests in regards to the foundation of a Zoo in Odisha.

At first, it was proposed to have the zoo at Ghatikia near Khandagiri and Udayagiri caverns. It would likewise give a diversion to the metropolitan populace of Bhubaneswar. Later it was felt that Ghatikia would present water issues later on. A zoo needs a ton of water to address the issue of creatures, cleaning of creatures sheds, and for different purposes. The at that point Range Officer, Chandaka recommended the Jujhagarh woodland block on Kanjia lake close to Barang Railway station as the best area. The then Chief Conservator of Forests, Divisional Forest Officer, Puri, Range Officer, Chandaka, and D.P. Ghosh, Forest Ranger visited the spot and were dazzled with its grand magnificence. Kanjia lake with its tremendous territory more than 125 sections of land of low and undulating slopes of Jujhagarh and Krushnanagar D.P.F.S. with rich green vegetation on the two sides of the lake introduced a beautiful sight. Jujhagarh Forest Block had every one of the benefits for finding the zoo with the exception of correspondence from Bhubaneswar and the solitary methodology was through Chandaka covering a distance of 38 Km.

A board of trustees comprising Dr. Radhanath Rath, Sri G.C. Run, and Sri D.N. Choudhury, the at that point Minister of Forests, Secretary, Forest, and the Chief Conservator of Forests individually visited the spot. They were a lot intrigued with its stylish excellence and suggested the area of the zoo there with the development of a straight street (a distance of 14 to 15 Kms.) from Bhubaneswar. Appropriately, it was chosen to find the Zoological Park in Jujhagarh Forest Block, the Botanical nursery in Krushnanagar Forest Block, and create Kanjia lake for Boating and Angling. The Director, Fisheries consented to build up a bit of the lake for raising different sorts of fish for guests to see. At first, it was chosen to keep spotted deer, yelping deer, blackbucks, wild pigs, sambars, nilgai, and bears in open-walled areas. Different creatures like the panther feline, mongoose, flying squirrel, porcupine, python, monkeys, hyena, jackal, civet feline, pangolin, wilderness feline, parrots, mynah, and different birds in appropriate confines. It was chosen to invest amounts of energy to catch tigers and panthers which could be shown in reasonable confines for the present and the appropriate roomy fenced-in areas would be worked for them later on. It was additionally settled to raise a decent bloom garden and to plant significant species and restorative plants of Odisha inside the proposed Botanical nursery in Krushnanagar D.P.F.

It was thought about to make nature reenacting fake streams and cascades by siphoning water from the lake to a supply on the peak and permitting the water to move through these winding streams and find creature fenced-in areas along these streams with the goal that the stream would go about as an obstruction. Guests would see the wild creatures from the opposite side of the stream. In like manner, an arrangement was attracted however was to be deserted on account of the significant expense. All things considered, it was chosen to build walled areas, with steel network fencing on three sides and a wide water canal on the fourth side so guests can see wild creatures from the canal side. An organization of streets would be developed and creature-fenced-in areas, just as creature confines, would be situated along these streets. The development exercises were begun once again a little territory, in any case to house a few herbivores like Cheetahs, Sambar, Barking deers, and a couple of birds.

On 29th December 1960, Sri S.K. Patil, the at that point Minister of Food and Agriculture, Govt. of India introduced the new Biological Park initiated as “Nandankanan” the grand nursery of God. In this way, a Botanical Garden came up in the year 1963. The Nandankanan Biological Park was renamed as Nandankanan Zoological Park on the suggestion of the Odisha Legislative Assembly Committee on Estimates, 1981-82. The zoo began developing gradually with the expansion of new walled in areas and the principal tiger was brought to the zoo in the year 1964 from the Alipore Zoo in Calcutta alongside a couple of African lions, a jaguar, and a couple of muggers during the All India Congress Committee meeting at Bhubaneswar.

Uniqueness
Nandankanan is the first zoo in the World to breed White tiger and Melanistic tiger.

Nandankanan is the only conservation breeding centre of Indian Pangolins in the world.

Nandankanan is the only zoological park in India to become an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquarium (WAZA).

Nandankanan is the only zoo in India after which an express train Puri-New Delhi express has been named as “Nandankanan Express”.

Nandankanan is the first zoo in India where endangered Ratel was born in captivity.

Nandankanan is the only zoo in India to have an Open-top Leopard Enclosure.

Nandankanan is the second largest heronry for Open Billed Storks in Odisha.