Chhatbir Zoo

Chhatbir Zoo, officially the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, lies on the Chandigarh-Zirakpur route in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district and is among the best-known zoos of north India. Spread over wide green grounds, it is meant both for recreation and for building public awareness of wildlife and conservation.

Its best-known feature is the safari, in which visitors ride in closed vehicles through separate lion and deer areas where the animals roam in forest-like enclosures. The walk-in aviary, one of the largest in India, lets visitors move among freely flying birds in themed habitats. A reptile house and a nocturnal house show animals rarely seen in daylight, and an interactive learning section with models is aimed at children. Broad shaded paths make it easy to spend half a day or more, and Chandigarh airport is about 15 to 20 km away.