Komodo dragons
The world's largest lizards.
Sakurai Midori — CC BY 3.0 · Victor Salindeho — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hfarayi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Humaskbs — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of Southeast Asia's oldest zoos, founded in the Dutch era in 1916, with hundreds of Indonesian and international species across a large, tree-filled site, the best known being Komodo dragons, the world's largest lizards, along with tigers, elephants, giraffes and tropical birds. At its entrance stands the Sura and Baya statue of a shark and a crocodile locked in combat, the city's emblem, from which its name is drawn. The zoo has shady walking paths, a lake, a children's area and some animal-feeding activities. It faced criticism over animal welfare in the past decade, and improvements have been made since. Tickets are fairly cheap at around twenty thousand rupiah, and the site is large and needs at least two hours. Holidays bring heavy crowds. Come in the morning when the animals are more active and the air cooler, and bring water and a hat. It pairs with the Sura and Baya statue and nearby Bungkul Park.
The world's largest lizards.
Among the region's oldest zoos.
The city emblem at the gate.
Jalan Setail, off Jalan Raya Darmo, south-central Surabaya
Yes, as a cheap family outing, especially to see Komodo dragons. For a more modern zoo, Batu Secret Zoo near Malang is better.
