13 blackbucks, 4 hog deer arrive at Bengal Safari Park from J’khand

The much-awaited blackbucks and hog deer have finally arrived at the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri. They have been brought in from Jamshedpur Zoo to attract more visitors to the park. More animals are scheduled to arrive at the park in the third week of March.

The Bengal Safari, a brainchild of CM Mamata Banerjee was inaugurated in 2016. It is a major tourist attraction in Siliguri.“We are developing the park. With the aim to increase the footfall, we are increasing the animals in the park. We are also trying to bring in exotic animals and birds. We are hopeful that it will increase the number of visitors to the park,” said Kamal Sarkar, the Director of the park. As many as 13 blackbucks and four hog deer had arrived at Bengal Safari Park from the Jamshedpur Zoo on February 22. Among them, five are males and eight are female blackbucks. Among four hog deer, two are males and two females. They have been transported by road. It took two days to reach Jamshedpur.

They are being kept in the isolation enclosure under observation at present. After 20 days of observation, they will be brought to the display enclosures where visitors will be able to get a view. Regular health check-up is going on. A team of veterinarians, including zoo nutritionists, are keeping a close tab. They are being given a normal diet like other deer.

“They are all in a good condition and healthy. We are giving them grains, concentrates and green leaves. They will take some time to adapt to the new environment of the park. When they have adapted themselves to the new atmosphere, we will release them in the display enclosures” the director added.

Incidentally, Jyotipriyo Mallick, Forest Minister, recently had announced in Siliguri that more animals will be brought to the Safari park to make it a full-fledged zoo. He said that the park will be upgraded into a zoo by bringing all kinds of animals. An animal hospital will also be built here.

Blackbuck is also known as antelope. It is on the list of protected animals in India. The Indian Hog deer is a small deer native to the Indo-Gangetic plain. It is found in various countries of Asia and Southeast Asia. However, as its number is gradually decreasing, initiatives are taken to conserve the hog deer. Lions, giraffes, zebras are in the process of being brought to the Park.