The Central Zoo in Jawalakhel is the only public zoo in Nepal. It dates from 1932, when it was the private collection of the Rana prime minister Juddha Shamsher, and was opened to the public after the fall of the Rana regime in 1956. The collection includes Asian rhinos, leopards, gharials, and several species of Himalayan birds.
It is not a world-class zoo by Western standards, but the funds raised here help support Nepal's wider conservation work, and it is one of the few places where children in Kathmandu can encounter the country's wildlife up close. Worth an hour if you are travelling with family.