Katraj - Snake Park - RG Zoological Park

Welcome to the Jungle of Pune!

This is most attractive [Just to write!] and crowded [It is, due to most people come here for other purposes rather than enjoying zoo] tourist place in Pune, being one of the best snake parks in the country.

This snake park is home to a variety of snakes and other reptiles like crocodiles. This park also has a library, which provides lots of information about snakes and other reptiles. The place is known as Sarp Udhyan (Snake Park) and Pune Zoo among Auto-walas and nearby people. The zoological park is also famous for wildlife research centre. It is located on the Pune to Satara road, near Bharati Vidyapeeth Campus. It can be easily reached from Swargate bus stop.

In the park, you can enjoy watching monkeys, vulture, eagle, peacock, snake, crocodile, tortoise, green Iguana at the left way after entrance. While at the right turn, bear, leopard, white tiger, deer, antelope, jackal, wolf, elephants are the main animals. Inside the park, you can enjoy boating (manually driven) for 2 (specially) or 4 people, the place known as Katraj Water Sports Centre. Tickets can be purchased from nearby boating ticket booking office. At the time, when I visited the place, the charges were:
4 seat Boat 100 INR. [For 20 minutes]
2 seat Boat 80 INR. [For 20 minutes] There is also a canteen and plenty of toilets for the easiness of travellers. I like the map of the park, so that it can be easily traversed covering all the area. So after entering the park, take extreme left or extreme right, and the middle way, meets the boating and water sports area. The main attractions of the udhyan (park) are, a king cobra, white tiger, green Iguana, and the plenty of jumping deers. This park is good for animal lovers, family and specially for children. Though couples can easily search the couple of places for the Parrot-Maina talk as usual. :-)

Address: Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Katraj
Timings: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Sale of tickets up to 5:30 p.m. only)
Note: It remains closed on every Wednesday.
Katraj Snake Park Entry Fee: Adult (10 INR) Child (5 INR) Foreigners (25 INR)

There are discounts for school students during wildlife week (1st to 7th October - 2 INR), only if accompanied by teacher.

You can get bulk of fresh air within this small money, alongwith some exercise (jog), being connected to nature. Latest Rajiv Gandhi Zoo timings can be seen at the entry gate itself. On a regular basis, some festivals (e.g. Nagpanchmi) and programs also organized to spare awareness and correct information about common myths about this dreaded species.

I would rate this place just 4 out of 10, but I enjoyed being with whole family for the first time in Pune.

Coming soon... Monsoon Express to Lonavala Khandala with family ...