Ragunan Zoological Gardens

Kebun binatang Ragunan (Ragunan Zoological Garden) is a kind combination between zoo and park. For years its gain reputation as one of the world’s notable collections of Southeast Asian flora and fauna.

More than 3,500 specimens of approximately 450 animal species are exhibited on the 200-hectare (494-acre) park grounds. Among these are the orangutan, Sumatran serow, and various other rare animals of Indonesia. This park has almost 30,000 plants from 250 different kinds of.

Located in RM Harsono street, Ragunan, South Jakarta municipality, Ragunan Zoological Park was constructed based on the open zoo concept that allowed visitors to feel nearer to the animals. Besides being a recreation park, Ragunan Zoo has an important role in animal conservation through the cultivation program, and it also becomes a good place for educational and research activities.

The interesting thing is visitors could see how the animals eat at Ragunan Zoological Park. Eating time of the animals has been scheduled by the management. Komodo will be feed every Wednesday at 11:00am, crocodile on Wednesday and Saturday, Cormoran everyday at 11:00am, and Hippopotamus everyday. Education and research activities conducted quite often at Ragunan Zoological by the students. The objection is to let the students love and respect flora and fauna as the richness of nature that has to be preserved.

Ragunan Zoological Park has own history, dating back to Dutch colonial era. In In 1864, when Jakarta was still named as Batavia, the first zoo was open at Cikini area, Central Jakarta Pusat, which was named as Planten En Dierentuin.

The zoo was managed by flora and fauna lovers association (Culturule Vereniging Planten en Dierentuin at Batavia). The land where the zoo stood was granted by Raden Saleh, a famous Indonesian painting artist, which width was about 10 hectares.

Since the zoo in Cikini considered as too small and not really adequate for animal exhibition so in 1964 DKI Jakarta’s government granted a land with 30 hectares width at the south suburb area of Jakarta, later named as Ragunan Zoo. In 1966, Ragunan Zoo was officially opened by the governor of DKI Jakarta with a name of Ragunan Zoological Park.

Ragunan Zoological Park open everyday for public, from 7 am until 5 pm. This park usually crowded on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Between Saturday and Sunday, Sunday is usually the most crowded day at the park. Visitor can easily reach this park, by public or private transportation.