Roaring dreams never die
It took ages and generations to build what we know as the iconic Alipore Zoo today. Dr. John McCleland who was the custodian of the Bengal Asiatic Society Museum in 1842 made the first attempt. Unfortunately, not many paid attention to his vision and it ebbed off gradually.
Two decades went by and Dr. Joseph Bart Fayer, the then President of Asiatic Society of Bengal presented the idea of having a zoological garden in the city. Strangely, he received a positive response but it was shredded to bits because of the unavailability of enough land. The third time, Postmaster to the Government of India, Carl Louis Schwendier created and strategized an entire plan to build the zoo. But it was shelved till the availability of space.
Repeated efforts never go to waste. The fourth time over, the Government of India, designated 46.5 acres of land to build the zoo.
Benevolence of a few good men
Donations were made in the form of money, animals, and services. When the development of the land began, a few animal houses were also being built. It is said that the "Mullick House" is the first animal house constructed within the Zoo with the financial help of Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur. Another name that shines through while talking about the building of the zoo is Bahadur Ram Brahma Sanyal. He was the first Superintendent of the garden, who toiled day and night to improve and maintain the animals in good health and a clean environment. He was also responsible for in-house breeding.