Trivandrum's zoo and its surrounding grounds are a refuge of greenery and relative peacefulness from the busy, traffic-congested city roads.
The zoo is probably the best I've ever been to in India with large enclosures for the animals and a viewing public that mostly seems to obey the posted rules (about not attempting to feed the animals and not throwing things at them or taunting them in any way). It also, in common with most attractions in Kerala, has a reasonable admission charge (20 Rs for adults) and no differential pricing for foreigners.
I've only included two shots – one of the hippos and one of a relaxed herd of sambar deer. For me one of the highlights of the zoo is something that many other visitors probably don't even notice – the hundreds (if not thousands) of bats (fruit bats I think) hanging in the high reaches of the many trees in the zoo's compound. I have seen such bats in many zoos I've visited in India – perhaps they are attracted to the zoo animals' food or maybe it is that zoos offer the largest concentration of tall trees in cities. The day I visited was quite hot and the bats all seemed to be flapping one wing – perhaps this is some kind of cooling technique. These are not small bats – they are about crow-sized – and you are alerted to their presence by a shrill chattering unlike birdsong or insect noise. Unfortunately they are so high up in the trees that it is hard to get a good picture of them.
Entry to the zoo also includes the reptile house (which is outside the zoo proper) where there are some very formidable looking snakes as well as a group of complacently feeding guinea pigs who are unaware of their eventual fate (becoming dinner for the snakes).
