Ragunan Zoo

 

A Zoo can always be a unique alternative to your packed hours of daily life. Its natural environment that keeps the variation of animal lives, can be such an attractive scenery to behold. Ragunan Zoo is a perfect example of such place. It is a kind of combination between zoo and park. The combination also makes the zoo known to be a zoological park whose construction was based on an open zoo concept, allowing visitors to get nearer to the animals (some even allow interaction with the animals).

The history of the zoo goes back to the year 1864 in Cikini, Central Jakarta. When a flora and fauna lover foundation named Culturule Vereniging Planten en Dierentuin at Batavia started the initiation, they decided to build the zoo on a ten-hectare land. After the occurrence of Indonesia's independence, the name of the zoo became Cikini Zoo. However, the zoo was soon removed to Ragunan area (Southern Jakarta) since it was lacking of space. From then on, it was officially named Kebun BInatang Ragunan (Ragunaan Zoo) that covers the land as wide as 140 hectares.

The zoo keeps an astonishing collection of almost 500 species of tropical plants and animals. The animal collection inhabited by more than 260 kinds, including the endangered ones such as Komodo dragons, Sumatran tigers, dwarf buffalos and the bird of paradise; while the plantation includes rows of natural grass and trees such as bougainville, pachystachys and Chinese hibiscus. There is a primate center that is recently developed and believed to be the largest primates center in Indonesia. It consists of rare breed of gorillas, chimpanzes, gibbons and other primate species.

Apart from its wildlife collection, Ragunan Zoo is also widely known for its specialty in conserving the endangered animals. They usually set the animals free into the wild after careful process of caring and training. The program has proven successful and has attracted many veterinarians from abroad to join.

The lush greenery surroundings can be your favourable spots for picnic and holiday. Not only has it succeeded achieving preservation of the rarity but also a title of being an irresistible area of fun.