The Municipal Zoo occupies a part of the 116-hectare park and welcomes the masses for free. However, as the number of visitors continued to grow, the location of the zoo changed and was moved to Vandalur in 1976. The zoo is open to the public and the park has about 800,000 visitors annually. The park is the largest zoo in India. The zoo is home to more than 1,265 hectares of 2,553 species of flora and fauna. As of 2012, the park is home to about 1,500 wild species, including 46 endangered species, in 160 enclosures. Aiming to be a treasure trove of the state's fauna, the park is said to be Tamil Nadu's second wildlife sanctuary after Mudumalai National Park. The park's main goal is to protect wildlife and raise awareness about endangered species.