Van Vihar National Park

Van Vihar National Park and Zoo covers 445 hectares in Bhopal beside Bhoj Tal (Bada Talaab), one of the lakes that make up the Bhoj Wetlands, a Ramsar site. The land was once barren, and its restoration is counted as a conservation success.

Its animals include tigers, Asiatic lions, Gyps vultures and hard-ground barasingha, and the park runs conservation breeding for rare and endangered species. None of the animals were captured from the wild: they are orphans from across Madhya Pradesh or exchanges with other zoos. Some are bred and released into the wild, and scientific study supports their care.