The idea of visiting Sakkarbaug Zoo was because of a pamphlet I received at Geeta Lodge. The pamphlet enhanced knowledge – Sakkarbaug Zoo situated at Rajkot Road is the oldest zoo in Gujarat and the third oldest in India. It was established in the year 1865.

Fantastic. I have a reason to visit – said I during our short trip to Junagadh to attend the Bhavnath Fair – 2015. We hired an auto and paid Rs. 40 fare for two people from S.T. Bus stand to Sakkarbaug Zoo approx. 3 km distance.

Rs. 20 is the zoo ticket price for adults (above 12 years) and Rs. 10 for senior citizens. Camera fee – Rs 20.

The moment you enter the zoo it is visible – well-maintained, well-made paths with directions for visitors.

During the tour, I saw varieties of birds such as Black Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Ruddy Shelduck, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, Indian Spotted Eagle, Sun Conure, Dusky Lory, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Lovebird, Budgerigar, Silver Pheasant, Ring-necked Pheasant, Domoiselle Crane, Common Crane, Rose-ringed Parakeet and many more…

Other than birds the zoo is also one of the best for wild animals watching such as Leopard/Panther, White Tiger, Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian Giant Squirrel, Bonnet Macaque, Marmoset, White Buck, Hippopotamus, Indian Bison, Star Turtles, Crocodile, Striped Hyena, Porcupine and many more…

There is an aquarium too having varieties of fish such as Golden Fish, Guppy, Rosy Barb, Red Parrot, Koi carp, Red Eye Tetra, Sukkar Fish, Silver Dollar, Angel, Molly, Platy, Pearl Scale Fish, etc., etc.

We also saw Cobra, Common Rat Snake, Common Sand Boa, and Indian Trinket. And display boards enhance knowledge about snakes in general and their features, myths, and precautions to prevent snakebites, and cure them.

A mini-bus was parked. Upon query we were told, there is a small ride for Rs. 25/per person to watch a few more wild animals kept a little deep inside the zoo. We purchased the ticket for the tour.

Altogether it was a knowledgeable tour. I suggest one should visit especially because it is one of the oldest zoos in India.

Sakkarbaug Zoo Timings: 9 am – 6 pm and Wednesday closed.

Ruddy Shelduck – The photo was taken at Sakkarbaugh Zoo in Junagadh (Gujarat).

Local Name: Brahminy Duck, Bhagavi Surkhab.

Distribution: north-west Africa, Ethiopia and Asia.

Food: Aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.

Habitat: Wetland

Features: It has orange-brown body plumage and a paler head. The wings are white with black flight feathers. It swims well and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck, usually found in pairs or small groups and rarely forms large flocks.

(Source: Display Board)

Silver Pheasant – This photo was taken at Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh (Gujarat).

Distribution: South-western China, Eastern Burma, Southern Vietnam.

Food: Grain, leaves and invertebrates.

Features: The male is black and white, while the female is mainly brown. Both sexes have a bare red face and red legs. The males of the southern subspecies have greyer upper parts and tail with extensive black markings, making them appear far darker than the northern subspecies. Female are brown and shorter-tailed than the males.

(Source: Display Board)

Dusky Lory – This photo was taken at Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh (Gujarat).

Local Name: White-rumped Lory or Dusky-orange Lory.

Distribution: New Guinea and Indonesia.

Food: Mainly flower and sunflower seeds.

Habitat: Subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

Features: The Dusky Lory is short tailed parrot about 25 cm long. It is mainly brown and has whitish back and rump. It has two color phases; the band across the upper chest together with its abdomen are either yellow or orange.

(Source: Display Board)

Ring-necked Pheasant – This photo was taken at Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh (Gujarat).

Local Name: Ring-necked Pheasant and Common Pheasant

Distribution: Manchuria, Siberia, Korea, Mainland China and Taiwan.

Food: Fruit, seeds and leaves as well as a wide range of invertebrates, with small vertebrates.

Habitat: The birds are found in woodland, farmland, scrub and wetlands.

Features: There are many color forms of the Male Common Pheasant, ranging in color from nearly white to almost black in some melanistic examples. The body plumage is barred bright gold and brown plumage with green, purple and white markings. The head is bottle green with a small crest and distinctive red wattle. Colchicums and some other races lack a white neck ring.

(Source: Display Board)

Indian Bison – This photo was taken at Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh (Gujarat).

Local Name: Gaur.

Distribution: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Food: Wild gaur feed mainly on grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees with a high preference for leaves.

Habitat: Evergreen forest.

Features: Gaur is the largest bovine in the world. It is the state animal of Goa. Gaur are side to look like water buffalo at the front and domestic cattle at the back. They are the heaviest and most powerful off all wild cattle and are among the largest living land animals; elephants, rhinos and hippos the weight Gaur may equal or even surpass that of a Giraffe.

(Source: Display Board)

White Buck – This photo was taken at Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh, Gujarat.

Distribution: Mainly in India and also in Nepal, Pakistan, Texas and Argentina.

Food: Herbivorous. Feeds on fresh grass, leaves grains, crops etc.

Habitat: Grasslands and fields, not noticed in hilly area.

Features: White Buck is not different from BlackBuck but White Buck has not retained pigments for natural color although they have retained the elegance. It is speedy among the all deers. It can run 90 km per hour.

(Source: Display Board)