National Park is home to 400 black bucks, 2000 spotted deer, 24 jackals, a variety of snakes, geckos, a wide variety of snakes tortoises, geckos and over 100 species of birds, over 60 species of butterflies and spiders each, a wealth of different invertebrates-grasshoppers, ants, termites, carbs, snails, slugs, scorpions, mites, spiders, earthworms, millipedes, etc., These are free-ranging fauna and live with the minimal of interference from human beings. The only major management activity is protection as in other in situ conseration area. The park boasts of over 350 species of plants, and form a natural destination for botanists.About 22 acres of GNP has been carved out into a zoo for ex-situ conservation. This entails keeping different species in captivity on view to public. Children’s park - the zoo was started with the idea of providing children a natural environment, to educate them about animals and create awareness on conservation. The animals, have bred well in recent years. In children’s park include black buck, sambar, spotted deer, porcupine, hyena, jackal, python, grey pelican, night heron, cormorant, cockatiel, mongoose, bonnet monkey, common langur.
The Deer Park, comprising 595 acres, is situated adjacent to Raj Bhavan. It was originally a part of the Governor’s Estate. This is the only National Park in the world to be situated within a Metropolis. It is botanically the only one of its kind to carry even today, vegetation that is truly representative of the natural thorny scrub jungle of southern dry zone.
The main attraction of this park is fauna such as the rare Indian Antelope popularly known as the Black Buck found nowhere else in the world. This is also a sanctuary for the endangered animals like the Spotted Deer, White Buck, Bonnet Monkey, Small Indian Civet Cat, Jungle Cat, Jackal, Common Mongoose and the Common Palm Civet Cat. The bird life is also equally interesting.
Approach
By Bus :- Can be reached anywhere from Chennai
By Train:- Nearest railway station is Chennai (12 KM)
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