Thimphu Takin Zoo, A Sanctuary for the Enigmatic Takin

Motithang
The earliest ones were zoos
3.8
Zoo

Introduction

Thimphu once had a small zoo for keeping local animals. However, the king of Bhutan believed that it violated Buddhist beliefs and thus closed down the zoo, releasing all the animals. Some of the animals that had long been imprisoned could not adapt to the natural environment and still wandered in the city, causing frequent traffic chaos. In order to protect these animals, a fence was rebuilt on the original site of the zoo, which became an antelope conservation area. Antelopes are the national animals of Bhutan, similar to China's giant pandas. This type of deer-horned sheep-body animal is a hybrid of sheep and cattle, and its closest relative in Bhutan is the muskox. Legend has it that Bhutan's saint, Zhukaku La, created the antelope with the bones of sheep and cattle. Now, the Thimphu zoo has become a good place to watch antelopes, reindeer, and various deer species.
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Motithang

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