The History of Khao Kheow Open Zoo

The Khao Kheow National forest Reserves established a Zoological Park (Khao Kheow Open Zoo) in the Province f Chonburi with the permission of the Royal Thai Forestry Department to be managed by the Zoological Park Organization, under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King and the care of the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment.

Following this a development plan was executed according to an agreement of the government's cabinet members. The area of the zoo was increased in 1992 to 2,000 acres within the Khao Kheow-Khao Chom Puo wildlife Sanctuary. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo was opened to the public on 1 st June 1980 and is located at 235 Moo 7 Bangpra Sriracha, Chonburi Province . It currently manages about 8,000 animals from 300 species.

Conservation of Thai Species

This goal is to establish the Khao Kheow Open Zoo as a center for research on key threatened and/or endangered species of Thailand and Southeast Asia .

The “ Mission Statement” for the Khao Kheow Open Zoo:

To Conserve endangered species and protect and expand their natural environment to the benefit of the kingdom.

1. Develop and awareness of conservation of the animals and their environment by supporting education, research plus providing structured entertainment for the people of Thailand .
2. Develop the Khao Kheow Open Zoo as a standard for public recreation.
3. To Establish Khao Kheow Conservation and Research Center activities are through an integrated network of national and international collaborations many involving ex situ research. The in situ research programs address issues such as the status of threatened species including: 1) their distribution and degree of fragmentation, 2) the threat and effect of poaching, 3) habitat loss, 4) the estimating probability of extinction within a certain time period. The findings of these programs could provide a basis for recovery and/or reintroduction strategies for populations of threatened Thai species.

Khao Kheow Open Zoo plans to become a Genome Resource Bank that is important on the earth and the zoo divided to be 3 sections as follow :

1. Animal Exhibits ( 400 acres ) where an attempt is made to match the environment of each species in certain areas while in other areas the visitor can touch animals in selected large exhibits such as Eld's deer Park , Walk-through Aviary, Cat Complex, African Savannah and Butterfly Garden etc .

2. Research area ( 1,400 acres )

The zoo has been breeding the endangered species such as the Painted Stork and Spot-billed Pelican and Oriental Pied Hornbill. The zoo has initiated reintroduction program for the Oriental Pied Hornbill and Flora Research Program of Plant Genetic Conservation Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Field Research.

3. Public recreation

There are public areas for viewing animal presentation. The KKOZ Night Safari offers selected visitors to view some of the animals during a night drive through the parks 200 acres .

How to get to KKOZ

Only 130 km . from Bangna-Trad Road , Bangkok , there is intersection and there are 4 ways to access Khao Kheow Open Zoo as follows: click

Touch the alias that “the Emerald of East, watches rare wildlife animals to studying in modern zoo ever day.