This Zoological park situated on the outskirts of the Chennai Metropolitan, is created out of the Reserve Forests of Vandalur to the west of Chennai. In 1855 the first Zoo in India was established in Chennai, near the Central Station. In 1979, this zoo was shifted to the 510-hectare sprawling location it presently occupies on the slope of a hill. This Zoological Park is said to be one of the biggest in the South East Asia. The wild life population live in large open moated island type enclosures and the animals occupy near natural environment. More than 170 species of mammals, birds and reptiles can be seen here. The lion safari, the elephant ride, and battery-operated vehicles to take you around are some of the facilities available inside this park.

32 km from Chennai city on the eastern side of the Grand Southern Trunk Road is the Vandalur Reserved forest, located on a hill slope of Kanchipuram district. (Weekly holiday – Tuesday)