Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is the zoological park located in the town of Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. This park is situated at an altitude of 2133.5 meters above mean sea level with the mesmerising Kanchenjunga in the backdrop. The zoo was established on 14th August in the year 1958. It is administered under the Department of Education of the State for the study and conservation of Himalayan Fauna. Later, on 21st November 1975, Shrimati Indira Gandhi dedicated the zoo to Shrimati Padmaja Naidu. Shrimati Padmaja Naidu was the Governor of West Bengal (1956-1967) and the daughter of legendary nationalist leader, orator, poet known as the `Nightingale of India`, Sarojini Naidu. It was since then that the zoo came to be called Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.
This zoo is the breeding ground for animals, which are adapted to alpine conditions and has been successful in captive breeding the Snow Leopard and Red Panda. Sprawling over an area of forty-four hectares, the zoo is the home to several endangered species like snow leopards, red pandas, Siberian tigers, gorals (mountain goat) and a variety of endangered birds. The zoo is spread over an area of 44 hectares and attracts around 300,000 visitors every year.
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