YANGON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A first ever zoological garden will open in Myanmar's new capital of Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday, aimed at providing recreation place for tourists visiting the capital, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Tuesday.

Partly moved from the zoological garden in the former capital of Yangon, famous animals in Myanmar and rare ones such as penguins, Kangaroos and white tigers as well as mammals, birds and reptiles are kept in the Nay Pyi Taw zoo, the report said.

Elephant and other animal shows will take place at the inaugural ceremony of the zoo and arrangements are being made for visitors to take elephant ride, the report added.

The Nay Pyi Taw zoological garden project, which covers an area of more than 400 hectares and was undertaken by the Ministry of Forestry since 2006, stands the third after Yangon's and Mandalay's and the largest in the country.

Of the two existing zoological gardens, the historical Yangon's, which expands as 20.3 hectares, was set up in January 1906, accommodating over 1,000 animals including 554 mammals of 62 species such as elephant, tiger, bear, hippopotamus, monkey, takin and mountain goat, 424 birds of 70 species and 130 reptiles of 19 species such as crocodile, snake and monitor lizard; while the Mandalay zoological garden, which expands as 21.5 hectares, was inaugurated in April 1989 and has 107 mammals of 35 species, 142 birds of 39 species and 137 reptiles of 15 species.