National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka
National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka
3
About
This zoo features animals from across Asia, as well as a nightly elephant circus.
Does not meet animal welfare
guidelines
Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.0
512 reviews
Excellent
94
Very good
136
Average
123
Poor
70
Terrible
89
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Александр И
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • Family
Hello! Please don't believe good reviews! This zoo is old, there are not many animals, the price for foreign tourists is 18 dollars per adult and 9 for a child!!!! Out of the entire zoo, the tigers look good. The zoo is old, dirty, shabby!!!!!!
Written April 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathleen B
Glasgow, UK22 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
The mistreatment of the animals at this zoo is clearly evident. They are malnourished and are not provided the required habitats for them to thrive. The standards of care in this facility have sunk too far below the threshold of what is acceptable. Please do not support this and if you are from a country that provides good care for zoo animals, then do not go here as it will break your heart to see animals treated this way.
Written November 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dilan m
Sri Lanka44 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Zoo is well cleaned and layered out properly now. Directions are given to all places so that you won’t miss anything in the park. The only the problem I noticed Is public washrooms, they are not properly maintained. Overall the visit was aw.
Written January 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EmmKu
London, UK46 contributions
Dec 2017 • Friends
DO NOT SUPPORT THIS! I'm completely fine visiting well-kept zoos where animals are cared for and healthy, physically and psychologically. This zoo was disgusting and upsetting. Beautiful elephants were repeating one movement, chained up in amidst their own faeces. Turtles swimming in circles on repeat, pale from no sun. Cages dirty, parrots losing feathers, zookeepers hustling tourists asking for money for making animals doing tricks.
You pay $25 to get in, which in this country should ring alarm bells. I hope this place closes down soon and that people will stop going.
It is beyond me how any foreign tourist could give this zoo anything more than 1 star. I found it deeply distressing and upsetting. We took a quick tour and left in tears.
You pay $25 to get in, which in this country should ring alarm bells. I hope this place closes down soon and that people will stop going.
It is beyond me how any foreign tourist could give this zoo anything more than 1 star. I found it deeply distressing and upsetting. We took a quick tour and left in tears.
Written June 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AHP4
Colombo, Sri Lanka9 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
We were looking for a place to take visiting friends on their last day in Sri Lanka and it was a mistake. Not only is it quite expensive for foreigners, it was depressingly sad. Some animals looked like they were starving because one could see their ribs, the small cages were in need of repair and many of the cages/attractions were empty. After an amazing two weeks, in Sri Lanka, it left a very poor last impression.
Written January 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anita S
17 contributions
I've been to a few zoos in my life and yes, I do recognise the lack of funds and resources available to a country like Sri Lanka to be able to maintain it to the standard of western countries.
However, I do have be to honest here and this place left me feeling sad.
These animals were kept in pretty bad conditions. Concrete enclosures with no trees, grass, clean water or any kind of stimulation they'd get in the wild.
The tiger pits- one had a murky bath they could sit in which was way too shallow. One pit didn't have any visible sign of water anywhere. The tigers just paced.
The black bear same story, but he swung his head in a doorway for like 10mins straight.
But the elephants....omg, I couldn't watch for more than 20 seconds. Two huge ones were chained facing forward (to the crowd walking past) by both front and back legs to poles. They literally could not move step forward or back. One just swung it's whole head constantly. Then even more horrid- a baby one in the same containment! I honestly could not even look at it like that.
They were chained like that for the entire 3 hrs I was there so I don't think it was just a short 'show' type of thing.
It's bad enough seeing these magnificent animals in cages and pens, but seeing such an enormous thing literally tied to the ground just plain sucks.
However, I do have be to honest here and this place left me feeling sad.
These animals were kept in pretty bad conditions. Concrete enclosures with no trees, grass, clean water or any kind of stimulation they'd get in the wild.
The tiger pits- one had a murky bath they could sit in which was way too shallow. One pit didn't have any visible sign of water anywhere. The tigers just paced.
The black bear same story, but he swung his head in a doorway for like 10mins straight.
But the elephants....omg, I couldn't watch for more than 20 seconds. Two huge ones were chained facing forward (to the crowd walking past) by both front and back legs to poles. They literally could not move step forward or back. One just swung it's whole head constantly. Then even more horrid- a baby one in the same containment! I honestly could not even look at it like that.
They were chained like that for the entire 3 hrs I was there so I don't think it was just a short 'show' type of thing.
It's bad enough seeing these magnificent animals in cages and pens, but seeing such an enormous thing literally tied to the ground just plain sucks.
Written October 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Della60
Oxford, UK24 contributions
Mar 2017
We took some school children to the zoo today. Sri Lanka is a country which is home to some of the world's most beautiful creatures. This zoo is the most cruel zoo I have experienced though I have not experienced that many. The tragedy of the Brown Bear will haunt me forever as well as 3 hippopotomi in a tiny pond
We are from the UK and have a charity in Sri Lanka. We had to pay 100 times more than the Sri Lankans to get in. Is this to deter us from experiencing the cruelty. Zebra in a small pen. A tiger pacing in a cage with a small amount of water. This zoo should be shut down and the animals released.
We are from the UK and have a charity in Sri Lanka. We had to pay 100 times more than the Sri Lankans to get in. Is this to deter us from experiencing the cruelty. Zebra in a small pen. A tiger pacing in a cage with a small amount of water. This zoo should be shut down and the animals released.
Written March 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tracybalcome
Saffron Walden, UK36 contributions
Jun 2014 • Solo
Please, please do not visit this zoo. Surly you will realise this is not the place for these wonderful creatures and surely you will realise that it is wrong to make these magnificent animals do these ridiculous tricks. Please, please do not support these treatment of animals. No elephant should be made to stand on it's head it's tragic
Written June 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Corenna E
1 contribution
Feb 2014 • Solo
The baby elephants attraction is just that... An attraction.
The babies are taken from their moms to be exhibited in this zoo. The elephant exhibit is people bottle feeding babies! It's not natural and these babies are orphans because they were taken from their mothers to put on this show!
If you must see elephants visit a sanctuary where you can see the moms feed their babies.. Or better yet, a safari or a documentary on TV.
This isn't about conservation it's about money. I hope more visitors learn about this practice and choose to stay away. I am appalled at this practice.
Dehiwala Zoo...the world is watching...
The babies are taken from their moms to be exhibited in this zoo. The elephant exhibit is people bottle feeding babies! It's not natural and these babies are orphans because they were taken from their mothers to put on this show!
If you must see elephants visit a sanctuary where you can see the moms feed their babies.. Or better yet, a safari or a documentary on TV.
This isn't about conservation it's about money. I hope more visitors learn about this practice and choose to stay away. I am appalled at this practice.
Dehiwala Zoo...the world is watching...
Written July 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hotelier
Zurich, Switzerland85 contributions
Apr 2013 • Friends
This zoo is the saddest place I’ve been to.. you walk in and all the locals seem to enjoy seeing animals but aren’t even aware of how horrible the zoo conditions are. The Animals look miserable and sick, with no fur or feathers. The penguins has a tiny room, with one pool and a regular office A/C which is broken. I have taken pictures and complained but really urge everyone who feels the same way as me to take a stand for animal rights.. I’m not an extremely active animal rights activist but anyone can see how horrible the conditions are. Please speak up, they need to do something about this
Written March 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The above rates are correct. Adult Rs. 100 and kids Rs 30. But if you are a foreigner with residential visa, pls take those doc with you. +94 112712751 . Hope they will answer. :)
Written March 6, 2019
what about parking a car over here? thanks in advance
Written January 14, 2017
There is no designated vehicle park for the zoo. However there are some spaces to park vehicles by the sides of the road. If you go there on a weekday, finding a decent parking space won't be problem. But during weekends, it may be a little difficult.
Written January 14, 2017
mahbub2016
Bangladesh
Dear sir, We will be stay at Colombo 24-25 July at hotel ERO Lanka.How can we visit Garden ? Time,transport with all about.
Written July 21, 2016
Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Dehiwala 10350, Sri Lanka.
Phone: +94 11 2 712752
Hours: 8:30AM–6PM
Better take a Taxi or Three Wheel.
Written July 21, 2016
The opening hours of Dehiwela Zoological garden is from 10..00 am to 5.00 pm.
Written February 28, 2016
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