HCMC plans to waive rent fees for 96% of Saigon Zoo's land

By Phuong Uyen March 7, 2025 | 05:00 pm PT

A staff of the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden interacts with a rare white tiger at the zoo in 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen

Ho Chi Minh City is planning to allocate more than 96% of the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden's land to the management company, shifting from its current leasing arrangement.

The area in question spans over 170,500 square meters, located at 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1.

The Saigon Zoo is the largest of its kind in the city. In 2014, the city signed an agreement to lease more than 158,117 square meters to the company for 50 years, with annual lease payments.

Under the new plan, the city will allocate 164,702 sq.m of land, 96% of the zoo's area, to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden One-Member Limited Liability Company to be used for public purposes, including maintaining green spaces, conserving rare plants and animals, and supporting educational and scientific research.

The remaining portion of the land, 5,875 sq.m, will be leased to the company for commercial purposes, such as offices, parking lots, food courts, and play areas.

This adjustment aims to address the financial difficulties faced by the zoo, which has been operating independently since 2015 without state financial support.

The zoo's managing company has struggled to generate profits.

In 2024, HCMC's District 1 Tax Department issued a notice for more than VND846 billion (US$33.2 million) in tax arrears.

The company then argued that it has only been allowed to operate on a small portion of the land (5,590 sq.m, or 3.5% of the total area) for commercial activities. The rest of the land serves non-profit functions, such as animal enclosures and public services, which makes it impossible to cover the land lease expenses.

Founded in 1864 by the French, the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden now houses 2,144 animals of 128 species, including exotic species like giraffes, hippos, zebras, lions, and Belgian tigers.

It also has over 2,500 large woody trees from 380 species. The zoo charges VND40,000 for children’s tickets and VND60,000 for adults. According to the zoo, ticket revenue is used to fund the animals' food expenses.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has reviewed the land’s business and non-business portions and is currently determining the land lease rates. Based on this assessment, the HCMC Tax Department will adjust the lease fees for the zoo.