Shivamogga Zoo and Safari is one of the major attractions of Shimoga, located right outside the Shivamogga town. So, when we took our Bangalore to Shimoga road trip with kids, Shivamogga Zoo and Safari was on top of our list. Along with Sakrebyle Elephant Camp, Jog Falls – most majestic waterfalls of Karnataka and Honnemaradu Backwaters of Shimoga.
After checking into our hotel, Royal Orchid Shimoga, around 1:00pm and having a quick lunch, we proceeded to Shivamogga Zoo and Safari.
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About Shivamogga Zoo and Safari
The Shivamogga Zoo is part of a larger initiative to promote wildlife conservation and education. It features a variety of animal species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles, and aims to provide a natural habitat for these animals while also educating visitors about wildlife conservation. The safari, also known as Tyavarekoppa Tiger & Lion Safari, allows visitors to observe animals in a more natural setting. The zoo is designed to be family-friendly, offering recreational areas, educational programs, and opportunities for visitors to learn about the importance of wildlife preservation.
How to reach Shivamogga Zoo and Safari
The Shivamogga Zoo and Safari is located right outside the Shimoga town, around 13km from the centre of the town. If you are not having a personal vehicle, you can easily reach here using an autorickshaw or a taxi hired from the town of Shivamogga. Or, you can also take a bus. We drove here in our car. There is ample parking inside the campus.
As you reach the campus of The Shivamogga Zoo, you will see huge posters of animals, indicating the arrival of the destination. Followed by a huge gate. Enter inside, and you immediately get a feel of being in a jungle. As it is all green, covered with huge trees and dense flora. As you drive inside, you will reach the parking lot first. You can park your vehicle here. And then follow the signs to proceed to the ticket counters.
What are the timings of the Shivamogga Zoo and Safari
Shimoga Zoo is open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Tiger and Lion Safari, Thyavarekoppa is also open from 8:30 am to 5:00pm.
When we reached the destination, it was already around 4:00pm. So, we decided to first proceed to the Thyavarekoppa tiger & lion safari. And then go to the zoo. However, you can buy the tickets to both the places at the same ticket counter together.
What is the Shimoga Zoo and Safari ticket prices
Shimoga zoo tickets:
Adults : INR 50/-
Kids : INR 25/-
Kids under 5 years of age have free entry.
Tyavarekoppa Tiger & Lion Safari tickets:
Adults : INR 150/-
Kids under 5 years of age have free entry.
The Tyavarekoppa Tiger & Lion Safari
After buying the tickets, we immediately proceeded to the tyavarekoppa safari. The safari starting point is to the left of the ticket counter. First, we arrived at the stand to board the bus.
After boarding the safari bus, our trip started.
First we entered the lion enclave.And then we proceeded to the tiger enclosures.
On the way, we also saw many other animals like bisons, deer of different type, and many others.
You can easily see the animals on this safari, many will be even lying by the road side. The experience of Tyavarekoppa tiger and lion safari is very similar to the ones we have in Bannerghatta National Park near Bangalore, Karnataka. To be honest, this feels more like a zoo visit than a really natural safari experience like the one we had in Bandhavgarh National Park during our trip to Madhya Pradesh.
The Shimoga Zoo trip
After visiting the safari, we came back to the starting point, de-boarded the bus. And then proceeded to the right side of the ticket counter. To enter into the Shimoga Zoo. It was evening time, around 5:00pm. And it was really pleasant exploring the zoo at this time. The crowd was also thinning.
The first thing you encounter is different varieties of birds in glass enclosures, including peacocks, eagles, parrots and parakeets.
But many of the cages are still empty. Maybe they plan to bring in more birds in future. The variety of birds is nowhere near to the ones we have seen in other bird parks and zoos like the Mysore Zoo, Singapore Zoo or even the ones we saw on our recent visit to the eco zone in Ramoji Film City Hyderabad on our trip to Hyderabad.
After checking the birds, we moved further and saw an enclosure of bears.
Followed by more deers, sambar deers and some more which looked like reindeers.
We also saw panthers, black panthers and leopards.
And finally came across an enclosure of a lion and lioness. After this, we saw some crocodiles and hippopotamus, enjoying in the water. Followed by some huge birds like emu and ostrich.
But the most interesting thing that we saw was a dry drain naturally inhabited by hundreds of colorful butterflies. These butterflies were flying in and out of the drain. The kids were super excited by this and they chased after the butterflies. Once again, proven that it’s best to encounter the animals in their natural habitats.
After visiting these places, we moved towards the exit gate. On the way we saw an interesting building marked the “Postmortem room”. By the name, we guessed it must be a room where the animals are taken if they die inside the zoo to determine the reasons. We also saw a lot of glass enclosures which are still being setup and empty. So, I guess an year or so down the line there is going to be many more species of birds and animals to be seen in the Shimoga Zoo.
While on the way out, you will also see a museum. We didn’t have enough time so we skipped it.
And this is how our trip to the Shimoga Zoo & Safari completed.
PS: You can also adopt an animal in Shimoga Zoo. Which means you will be bearing the cost of food and other care required by that animal. And of course visit him / her from time to time 🙂
General Tips on visiting Shimoga Zoo and Safari
- The best time to visit Shimoga Zoo & Safari would be in the winter months of December and January or in the rainy season when it’s cloudy but not raining too much. Summers are particularly harsh so best avoided. Also when its raining heavily, safari might not be possible or you might not be able to spot the animals.
- Follow the general rules that apply on all safaris – don’t make noise on spotting the animals, don’t try to get off the vehicle etc.
- Also follow the instructions as mentioned when visiting the zoo. Like don’t get too close the animal enclosures, stay behind the boundaries. Also, don’t try to feed the animals or throw anything on them to grab their attention. Or, don’t tease them.
- Visiting in the early hours right after the premises open or late in the evening right before closing time will be good. As you will get the least crowd at this time.
- Wear comfortable shoes as there’s a lot of walking to be done.
- Carry an umbrella with you as it rains a lot in this region and weather can change anytime.
- Also carry water with you. There are couple of snack shops inside the premises near the gate but nothing inside the zoo when you are roaming around.