The Maharajbagh Zoo, located in the heart of Nagpur city (1.5kms west) was established in the year 1894 by the rulers belonging to the Bhonsle dynasty. As the name suggest, Maharajbagh Zoo earlier known as 'Shikar Khana' is an amalgamation of a garden and a zoo covering an area of 10ha of land. The garden here termed as Maharaj Baug has been converted into a botanical garden with a a rich collection of herbs, shrubs, ornamental and aromatic plants, medicinal plants etc. The Zoo within the premises is the home to varieties of rare species of birds and animals. The zoo comes under the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) of India and is maintained by the Punjabrao Krishi Vidyapeeth (PKV) of Nagpur.