Author:

Dr.Subhayu Chattopadhyay
Assistant Professor
Department of History
Visva-Bharati,Santiniketan
Birbhum,West Bengal, India

Email: subhayu_india@rediffmail.com

Abstract::Abstract:T:The Indian forests, inhabited with wild animals, always posed a thrill and/or a challenge to the
colonial rulers of India, thereby making ‘hunting’ as their favourite sport. With time, the idea of keeping
the wild animals in captivity in an urban space and exhibiting them to the visitors captured their mind.
That’s how the zoos entered the urban space. The Zoological Garden at Calcutta was established with the
state patronage, but initially there was no able scientific minded person to take charge of it and develop it
further. It was in this context that the responsibility went to Ram Brahma Sanyal who starting from a
casual labour rose to become the first Superintendent of Zoological Garden of Calcutta by sheer hard
work and his affinity for the animals. Apart from his commitments towards his job, Sanyal left behind a
hugely important book on the management of animals in captivity. This work remained as the only
guidebook for the entire world for almost half a century. This proves the claim that Ram Brahma Sanyal
should be considered as the ‘first zoo-biologist of the world’.

Key Words::Animal, Behaviour,Captivity, Management, NatureZoological Garden etc.