Selection of Thiruvananthapuram zoo income during Onam compared to last year

This year, in the days leading up to Onam, the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo welcomed three zebras – one male and two females – from the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (Vantara) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. | Photo credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

The new arrivals at the Thiruvananthapuram City Zoo seem to have had the desired impact on this year’s Onam festivities.

Despite two days of rain and a half-day holiday to celebrate the Onam week holiday, the zoo and museum complex in the city saw an increase in revenue during the Onam holidays from August 25 to 30 this year compared to last year’s collection.

During the six days from August 25 to 30, the total revenue collection for the zoo and museums was ₹ 29.97 crore, more than ₹ 7 crore more than the revenue collection of ₹ 22.53 lakh during the Onam period from September 3 to 9 last year.

A total of 55,860 visitors came to the grounds of the zoo and museum. The zoo ticket revenue alone was ₹22.93 crore. In 2025, the zoo ticket collection from September 3 to 9 was ₹ 17.10 lakh.

After ten years

This year, in the days leading up to Onam, the zoo welcomed three zebras – one male and two females – from the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (Vantara) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This marks the return of zebras to the zoo after ten years.

In preparation for Onam, two seven-month-old lion cubs named Suri and Simba also made their public debut. The cubs were born to lion couple Nayle and Leo and were kept in an enclosure out of public view until then. Releasing them in a shaded open space has also been well received, especially by the large groups of students visiting the facility.

The aquarium on the grounds of the zoo and museum was another big draw, with the collection there standing at ₹2.51 million.

The collection from Napier Museum, Natural History Museum and Sree Chithra Art Gallery together came to ₹ 3.5 lakh.

Published – 01 Sep 2026 21:04 IST