Mitchell Park, Durban (must see)

Mitchell Park Zoo is also known as Mitchell Park or Mitchell's Park. Situated in the Morningside suburb of Durban, it is the only zoo in the city.

The zoo was established as an Ostrich farm in 1910, but was unprofitable and started adding other animals. At one time it was home to many large animals, the most notable of which was an Indian Elephant named Nellie. Nellie was given to the zoo by the Maharajah of Mysore in 1928, and could blow a mouth organ and crack coconuts with her feet.

Today the Zoo holds various smaller animals such as blue duiker, small South American Monkeys, raccoons and various birds. The largest animals in the zoo today are Aldabra Giant Tortoises. The zoo also includes a children's playground, a walk-through aviary, and the Blue Zoo tea garden, as well as a large lawn area for picnics. It is adjacent to Jameson Park, which was once a pineapple plantation and now displays some 200 species of roses.