Sriwijaya Zoo

Sriwijaya Zoo is a right place for Palembang people who want to have a pleasure moment with family considering its location that is located nearby the heart of Palembang City. This 10 ha zoo is inhabited by 50 animals. There are three elephants for visitors who want to have a sensation of riding the back of those elephants. Other primates are also available there such as crocodiles, bears, monkeys, snakes, orangutan, and various birds.

Sriwijaya Zoo lies in Talang Taling Village, Gelumbang Sub-district, Muara Enim District, South Sumatra Province. Sriwijaya Zoo is 55 kilimeters away to the north of Palembang City. It lies strategically in Palembang – Prabumulih way.

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Ragunan Zoo

Ragunan Zoo is designed as an opened zoo. With its animal collections, more than 4000 animals and consist of 295 kinds, each animal is conserved in a cage according to its original habitat. About 90 % animals in Ragunan Zoo are original Indonesian animals.

The history of this zoo was started by the foundation of first zoo named “Planten En Dierentuin” in 1864 in Cikini, Central Jakarta. That zoo was organized by Flora and Fauna Lover Foundation in Jakarta (Culturule Vereniging Planten en Dierentuin at Batavia). The area was about 10 hectares which was granted by Raden Saleh, a well-known Indonesian painter.

After the independence of Indonesia, in 1949, its name was changed into Cikini Zoo. However, because the area was too small and unsuitable for animal conservation, the foundation looked for a new wider place. In 1964 this zoo was moved to 30-hectare in Ragunan area (Pasar Minggu), a granted land from DKI Jakarta Government. This zoo was then opened legally by the governor of DKI Jakarta on Juny 22, 1966 and named Ragunan Animal Park. This Ragunan Animal Park was then changed into Ragunan Zoo, about 140 hectares. There are about 295 species and 4040 specimens there.

The specialty of this zoo is on the successfulness in the conservation program. Several kinds of animals which have been successfully conserved are white tiger, Sumatran tiger, orangutan, Komodo dragon, python snake, and several kinds of birds, such as parrot, long-tailed parakeet, cassowary, and other kinds of animals. The other specialty is its cool, fresh, and shady air because it is surrounded by 50.000 shady trees and a pretty large well.

Besides, this zoo also performs special attractions for children, such as a children zoo and a playground. On Sunday or other holidays, this zoo becomes more crowded. On those days, children can ride elephants, carts, and boats. One satisfaction of this zoo is orangutans` show which goes around the zoo everyday by a cart.

Ragunan Zoo Location

Ragunan Zoo is located in R.M. Harsono Street No. 1 Ragunan, South Jakarta. The distance between Ragunan Zoo and Jakarta City Center is about 20 km. This zoo is easy to reach because there are many public transportations passing this zoo. From Tanah Abang, visitors can go by Kopaja 19 and 985. From Blok M, they can go by Metromini 77. From Kampung Melayu, they can go by Kopaja 68 and 602. From Depok, they can go by Mikrolet 57 and KWK 02. The Ragunan Zoo is opened everyday, from 7 a.m to 5 p.m. The entrance ticket costs IDR 4000 for each person, while children under 3 years old are free of charge.

This Ragunan Zoo provides many facilities, such as an information center, carriages, carts, restaurants, picnic ground, film shops, and several food, drinks, fruits, and souvenir sellers. Not far from the location, there are hotels and inns. This zoo also provides many playing facilities, such as Children Animals Park, Boat Park, Schmutzer Primate Center, and Tourism Raft. Besides, there are also animal attractions, such as riding elephants and camels. There are also a circus and animal acrobats, such as bird pulling carriage, linsang which plays ball, and joking snake.

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Visiting Gembiraloka Zoo Yogyakarta

Gembiraloka Zoo

The zoo well known as Gembiraloka is the only zoo in Yogyakarta. Although it is a zoo, Gembiraloka is still categorized as a museum included in category of zoologicum museum or fauna museum and special museum. Seen from the historical perspective, Gembiraloka is  the second oldest museum in Yogyakarta after Sonobudoyo Museum.

In 1933, the idea of the development of the zoo around Gajah Wong River emerged from the King of Mataram, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII. The Sultan wanted a tourism or entertainment area for the people in the form of botanical garden (kebun rojo). Then, Sri Sultan consulted this idea to an Austrian architect named Kohler. Nevertheless, the establishment of this zoo just could be realized by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX and Ir. Karsten (an engineer) in 1953. Still in the same year, on November 10th, 1953, Gembiraloka Zoo, which was managed by Gembiraloka Foundation, was officially opened by the Sultan himself. At that time, this foundation was led by Sri Paduka Paku Alam VIII.

Elephant Attraction

In the development, due to many managerial reasons, the Gembiraloka Zoo has changed its manager for several times. Although it has experienced many difficult situations   this zoo still becomes one of the main tourism objects in Yogyakarta. The data from Tourism Agency of Special Region of Yogyakarta for the last five years shows that the number of visitors to Gembiraloka in every year is more than to the Museum and Monument of Jogja Kembali. The quantity of the visitors in Gembiraloka can only be compared by the visitors of Yogyakarta Palace and Malioboro area.

Unlike other zoos in general that only show “ordinary” or rare fauna for display in the iron bars cage or wooden fence, Gembiraloka also presents dried preservation of some animals in a special room similar to a museum. The museum presenting this preservation animals is located in the side of the artificial lake in the zoo area. In 2007, Gembiraloka built not only the particular building for the preservation, but also a natural laboratory for flora and fauna as a studying media for people, especially for children. In this place, the visitors can enjoy various kinds of insects, vertebrate or invertebrate.

The zoo area which has been more than a half century is facilitated by a beautiful park,  decorated by various kinds of big and shady old trees, and beautiful flowers. As an arboetorium, Gembiraloka provides an observation area for forest plantation and the seedbed area which grow naturally. These various kinds of plants are not well-managed to show the “natural” atmosphere like other zoos in general.

Penguin Jascas

Besides getting real knowledge about various kinds of fauna and flora in the zoo, the tourists who take their children are also provided by tour boats look like a swan that is rowed (usually called genjot bebek). For the visitors that have not been ridden an elephant, the Gembiraloka Manager provides a special recreational facility, such as traveling around the zoo by tame elephants. Moreover, a children playground and an artificial cave are also provided as the supporting accessories of the zoo.

Gembiraloka Zoo Location

The address of Gembiraloka is in Kusumanegara Street, Yogyakarta City, Yogyakarta Special Region Province. This zoo is about four kilometers from Giwangan Terminal, Yogyakarta. If the tourists are from the downtown, Malioboro or the Yogyakarta Palace, the distance is about six kilometers. 

This zoo is opened everyday for public from 8 A.M. until 5 P.M. The visitors can use any kinds of public transportations in Yogyakarta to reach this tourism object. They can go by becak (pedicab), andong (four-wheeled carriage drawn by one or more horses), city bus, Trans Jogja bus, and also taxi. If the tourists choose becak or andong, they have to make sure that they are not too far from the zoo because the cost will be more expensive. If the tourists want to use a bus, chose number 9 or 7 which costs IDR 2.000,00. If the visitors choose a Trans Jogja bus, they may come to a Trans Jogja bus station and go with the bus route 1B. This route will stop in the station nearby Gembiraloka Zoo. The cost of Trans Jogja bus is IDR 3.000,00.

The ticket cost is still in confirmation. However, there are two kinds of ticket costs that are valid in this zoo. The first ticket is the personal ticket and the second ticket is the group ticket (more than twenty people). The lines of the shops that sell souvenirs, children toys, food, and beverages, can be found around the parking area. This zoo also has a large parking area for big busses, cars, and motorcycles. Besides, the rest rooms and musholla (small building for the Moslems to pray) become other facilities in this tourism object.

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