Chennai Snake Park

Chennai Snake Park, also known as Guindy Snake Park, is a reptile park located inside the Raj Bhavan campus in Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Established in 1972 by herpetologist Romulus Whitaker, it was India's first reptile park. The park houses a variety of snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles with a focus on conservation, education and research. It is situated adjacent to Guindy National Park and Children's Park, making it a notable wildlife attraction in central Chennai.

Visitors can expect a compact, well-maintained park with outdoor enclosures and glass-fronted vivariums housing Indian snakes such as cobras, kraits, vipers and pythons, along with crocodiles, turtles, lizards and monitor lizards. The setting is shaded with trees inside the Guindy Raj Bhavan estate. Visitors walk along paved pathways to view enclosures with informative display boards, and can attend educational demonstrations and guided explanations about reptile behaviour, conservation and snakebite awareness.

Established in 1972 by renowned herpetologist Romulus Whitaker on land leased from the Raj Bhavan estate in Guindy. It was the first reptile park in India and was created to promote reptile conservation, research and public education, and to reduce indiscriminate killing of snakes. The Chennai Snake Park Trust was formed to manage the park and has been involved in herpetological research and snakebite mitigation awareness.

The park holds educational and conservation significance as a centre for public awareness about reptiles, their ecological role and snakebite first-aid. It is a popular educational destination for school groups and families in Chennai and supports conservation outreach programs.