Apart from this, it is also going to get a pair of Asiatic lions and white tiger from other zoos in the country. Recently, Punjab chief minister gave permission to the wildlife department to initiate the process of importing wild animals such as zebra, giraffe, chimpanzee and gorilla from African countries for Chhatbir zoo to improve the animal collection and footfall there.
Chhatbir zoo field director M Sudhagar said, “The consent for import has been given by the Punjab government and the process is already underway and may get expedited after the code of conduct is over. The animal exchange will also take place after the poll results.”
It will for the first time that Chhatbir zoo will get giraffe, chimpanzee and gorilla which will improve the animal collection and footfall at the zoo. Sources said the CM had directed the additional chief secretary forests to send a comprehensive proposal for transferring the revenue generated from Chhatbir zoo to the accounts of Punjab Zoo’s Development Society instead of the state treasury so as to ensure smooth functioning of the zoo and upkeep of the wild animals.
The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has given another clearance to get animals under animal exchange programme. Under this, Chhatbir zoo will get a female white tigress and a pair of Asiatic lions.
At present the zoo has only two male white tigers and there was need of a female white tigress to complete the family. The two male white tigers were bred and born at the zoo and are between age group of 6-7 years. The white tigress to be brought is also around seven years old.
An officer at the zoo said, “We need to complete the pairing of the animals for proper mating defying the atrocities to the animals of being alone.” A pair of Asiatic lions, a male and a female will also be added to the strength of four lions, one female and three male at the zoo. Three out of the four Asiatic lions were bred and born at Chhatbir zoo and are aged between 8 to 9 years. A pair of Asiatic lions being exchanged are also aged between 8 to 9 years, said the director.
Last year, ahead of the National Wildlife Week, seven new members belonging to three species were brought under animal exchange programmes at Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park. They were Indian wolf, Royal snake, Chukar partridge, grey pelicans, star tortoise, ostrich, otters and mouse deer.
Importing of African lions proved fatal for zoo
Chhatbir zoo once had the highest strength of Asiatic lions in the country, nearly 80 lions, faced a very bad phase after importing of African lions in the 80’s. As on experimental basis the zoo authorities mated African lions with Asiatic lions causing some genetical infections leading to death of huge number of lions. After that, at one time the zoo remained without a lion.
Since then the importing of African animals was stopped. Now, the Punjab wildlife department has approved the importing of African Animals.
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Many political animals shall be free after election result to be added in the zoo cages,
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According to the report titled Regional Action Plan for the conservation of western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees 2015-2025 issued by the World Wide Fund for Nature, an international non-governmental organization (WWF), outlines the growing number of threats to these great apes across six range countries, including the finding that nearly 80% of great apes in the region occur outside of protected areas.
While national and international laws protect the critically endangered western lowland gorillas and the central chimpanzees, both sub-species continue to be threatened by hunters and traders seeking to supply the illegal commercial market and demand for bushmeat, particularly in urban areas.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/chhatbir-zoo-all-set-to-get-exotic-animals-from-africa/articleshow/69418297.cms
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