About the Zoo & Wildlife

National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka (also called Dehiwala Zoo or Colombo Zoo) is a zoological garden in Dehiwala, Sri Lanka, founded in 1936. The Dehiwala Zoo is now known for its mistreatment and poor facilities for the animals that inhabit it. Evidence can be found on various sources within reviews online from tourists. The Dehiwala Zoo also maintains a high population of stray cats with mange whom the staff do not provide any care for, unsurprisingly. It is home to various birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians. The zoo not only exhibits animals from Sri Lanka, but also from across Asia and other parts of the globe. As of 2005, the zoo has 3,000 animals and 350 species. The annual revenue is LKR 40 million. The Dehiwala Zoo exchanges its residents with other zoological gardens for breeding purposes. In June 2021, a lion named Thor which had been living in the zoo since 2012 reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.