Even as the city zoo’s efforts to bring in a pair of
Himalayan bears from Nagaland continue, it is setting its sights higher
to bring in some ‘star’ animals from abroad.
Giraffe,
zebra, white lion, and black jaguar are the animals the zoo is looking
to bring over from Africa. The proposal has the State government’s
backing, but sanction from the Central Zoo Authority and the Union
Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change is needed before
other procedures get under way.
Also on the cards is
acquisition of an Asiatic lion from Hyderabad. The lions at the zoo here
are a hybrid of African and Asian, but the zoo is looking to bring in a
pure Asiatic lion. A decision on this is expected at a meeting of the
CZA the coming week.
The meeting is also likely to
give the green signal to a proposal to bring white peacocks and
reticulated python from the Vandalur zoo in Chennai.
The
Himalayan bears will take another month to arrive, Zoo Director K.
Gangadharan said. “We need to book an SLR coach to bring them here.
Papers have been sent to Southern Railway in Chennai, and one we get
their go-ahead, the bears can be transported here.”
The plan is to bring them over on the direct train from Dimapur.
At
the zoo, the enclosures of various species are in for an overhaul. The
exotic birds aviary near the zoo hospital, which has been in a bad shape
owing to lack of maintenance, not to mention the onslaught from the
birds themselves, is to get a makeover. The Public Works Department has
been asked by Zoo Superintendent T.V. Anil Kumar to submit a revised
estimate for the enclosure while taking into account better visibility
for visitors. There are also plans for the crocodile and otter
enclosures, besides the one for the Indian bison.
When the zoo does welcome the jaguar, it will need a new enclosure for the animal in keeping with the master plan.
Work on the aquatic aviary is expected to be finished by Onam.
Another
important initiative is greening of the enclosures. “A number of
enclosures look barren. The idea is to have lots of plants and trees to
mimic the natural environment of animals,” zoo officials said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/zoo-dreams-big-planning-to-bring-in-stars/article9012238.ece
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/zoo-dreams-big-planning-to-bring-in-stars/article9012238.ece
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