January 4, 2026 | 08:12 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Visitors flock to Bandung Zoo ever since it reopened free of charge on December 28, 2025. From small families to large groups, people have been queuing since early morning, with authorities helping to organize the lines.
As of Sunday, January 4, Bandung Zoo will remain open for free. Tempo observed on Saturday, January 3, 2026, that the queues started to die down by midday. Visitors are welcome to enter the zoo while donating cash or vegetables for the animals. The spacious parking lot is filled with motorcycles.
For example, 51-year-old visitor Tiktik Nengsih arrived with two grandchildren and friends from the Babakan Jati area in Bandung. The group of twelve arrived in the morning and donated vegetables. "It's exciting, crowded, and amazing because it has been improved," she said.
By midday, visitors are seen enjoying the zoo by taking photographs of the various animals and laying out mats to eat their packed meals. The nearby trash bins were full, and some trash was scattered underneath.
Number of Visitors
According to the curator of Bandung Zoo, Rohman Suryaman, the exact number of visitors during the free admission period remains unknown. However, based on manual calculations and assistance on Saturday, January 3, 2026, around 10:00 a.m., approximately 2,282 visitors entered within 30 minutes. The opening hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. "Likely 12,000 or more visitors are recorded in three hours," he said when interviewed by Tempo at Bandung Zoo.
The overwhelming number of visitors, according to Rohman, is rare, except during holidays like Eid al-Fitr. However, it is still uncertain how long visitors can enter Bandung Zoo for free after its closure in August 2025 due to management issues. "Since the reopening, the animals have been more active, such as siamangs, birds, orangutans, elephants, and several other animals," he said.
Rohman stated that the decision to open the zoo for free aligns with Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan's policy that said the Bandung Zoo is a green open space. Its function is to provide broader benefits to residents and to preserve the urban environment.
Read: 10 Best Zoos in the World Endorsing Global Conservation Efforts
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