Reptile - House

A tourist...
from Western country visualises India as a land of snakes, which is popularised by the tales of snakes and snake charmers by Rudyard Kipling and other authors. However when a casual tourist arrives in modern India he is often disappointed since he sees neither snakes nor their charmers. Very often he does not even see the depiction of snakes in our art or architecture, although snakes have been a significant and recurring theme in our cultural manifestation.

Perhaps the most misunderstood and persecuted animals in the world are the Reptiles. They have been worshipped, feared and abhorred through the ages. It can hardly be said that they have been loved. Yet most members of the class Reptiles have an important role to play in the maintenance of the balance of nature. Thus snakes which are perhaps the worst suffers are responsible for keeping down the population of Rodents like rats and mice which when unchecked would otherwise multiply very fast and finish off our agricultural crops. Wherever snakes have been persecuted, a connection can be found between this fact and the disappearance of food grains. Lizards keep down hordes of insects. The recent findings show that Crocodile far from being an "enemy of fish industry" as has hither to back fallaciously believed, actually helps in the multiplication of edible and useful fish in our waters thus contributing to increase of food supply for people.

Chameleon - found all over India.

There has been a decline in the status of this class of animals in recent times due to sad lack of understanding among the people of the role these important animals have to play in nature.

Reptiles have formed part of our mythology and legend, snakes in the form of Nagas are even today worshipped. The tortoise and the crocodile find holy mention in our scriptures.

Indian Python found all over India.

Nehru Zoological Park,...
a pioneer Zoo in the country has taken up the project of setting-up of a Modern Reptile House first of its kind in the country, to display some of these magnificent Reptiles. In this, it is proposed to display important snakes of India like King Cobra, Python, Cobras etc., in large enclosures as opposed to cages, which are common in most serpentaria of the west. The visitors will walk through a darkened serpentine gallery and look into the brilliantly lit enclosures through special reinforced glass windows. The snakes will be seen amidst their natural surrounding with bushes, trees, pools and rocks etc. Another important feature of this facility will be murals, panels, paintings and sculptures showing snakes in Indian culture. Various charts etc., in this world of Reptiles will explain to visitors the important facts about the snakes.