Mangaluru Through My Lens: Pilikula Biological Park

Pilikula a word derived from two words "Pili" means Tiger and "Kula" means lake. It is said that, tigers used to come to this lake to drink water. Henceforth, this lake came to be known as Pilikula.

The lake is currently the part of the Pilikula Park and the caves where the Tigers used to visit is inside the zoo.

Tiger Caves where Tigers used to visit in Pilikula

A significant Biological Park is established in Pilikula Nisarga Dhama has major focus on the wildlife species of Western Ghats. The park is named as Dr. Shivaram Karnath Biological Park. The park consists of an area of 82 hectares. The Zoo is designed with a ease to travel the entire Zoo in a round seeing the animals in their habitat.

Pilikula Map

In accordance with prevailing laws, the central Zoo Authority of India has recognized the park. As per modern Zoological practices, the animal enclosures have been designed to closely resemble its natural habitat.

The park has a Veterinary hospital with operation theatre, diagnostic lab and other facilities like treatment squeezers, close observation cages, and hand raring facilities for young ones, tranquilising guns and drugs, Proper underground drainage facility is provided for enclosures.

Some of the animals such as Sambar deer which is found in South East Asia and also in a threatened conservation status.


Female Sambar Deer

The sambar deer is a herbivore, with a diet consisting of a variety of plants. It grazes or browses on a range of plant species depending on forage availability at the time, and this allows it to have great habitat flexibility. In India alone, the sambar deer has been reported to eat between 130 and 180 different plant species. This deer regularly uses mineral licks, which provide essential mineral nutrients, and it is never found far away from a source of fresh water. The sambar deer can easily swim with its body fully submerged and only its head above water.

Male Sambar Deer at Pilikula Zoo

The wild boar is the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and has one of the largest distributions of all of all terrestrial mammals.

Wild Boar at Pilikula

The female wild boar typically gives birth to between 4 and 8 piglets, although litters of up to 13 have been known.Although it primarily feeds on fruits, seeds, roots and tubers, the wild boar is omnivorous and has been know to eat wide range of foods including some animal matter.They sleep for 12 hours.

Piglets roaming with their mother in pilikula

Wild Boar with Piglets

The small sloth bear is unique amongst the bears, as insects are its main food source. It has a long, shaggy, coat with particularly long hair over the shoulders, and is typically black, although some individuals with cinnamon or reddish coats have been seen.

In the zoo the bear eats cooked rice with coconut,milk jaggery and eggs.Honey friuts like watermelon etc.

Sloth Bear at Pilikula

Largest and heaviest living flightless birds.They Lay largest eggs. Their diet includes roots, leaves,seeds and insects etc.

Cute Ostrich at Pilikula

Male Ostrich at Pilikula

The Pilikula Biological Park has four types of crocodiles including Nile, Marsh, Siamese, Gharial (Alligator) which is in urge of extinction.

Nile Crocodile

Marsh Crocodiles are freshwater species. they are mainly found in Indian rivers, lakes and Marsh.It prefers shallow water bodies.An adult Marsh crocodile survives on Fishes, turtles,snakes frogs, and some mammals such as monkeys,squirrels, deer and Buffalo.

Marsh Crocodile

Gharials are found mainly in rivers and its there in river Ganga Brahmaputra and Indus. the gharials survive on the fishes in the river. It also helps in maintaining the ecosystem of the rivers.

Gharial at Pilikula

The Siamese Crocodile is critically endangered species, which lives in the sweet water. it survives on the small fishes in the river or lakes.

Siamese Crocodiler

The specialty of the Pilikula Zoo is the Tigers, Lions and Leopards. Zoo Has a special concern for tigers, currenly there are 8 tigers including 4 cubs .These animals live in their habitat in the zoo. These creatures are endangered and rare to many so there is big crowd to see them.

Leopard in the Shed

Tiger at Pilikula

Lion sitting next to the pond

One might be aware the actor Salman Khan Killed black buck in Jodhpur, The black buck is quiet famous then,and we associate it with Salman. The Black buck is glorified in many religious and mythological texts.Their's is the only breed which is differnt from their females.All the male attain beautiful spiraled horn by the age of 3yrs.