Alipore Zoo procures animals from Nandankanan Zoo in Odisha

Kolkata: Alipore Zoological Garden has received a pair of lions, one female tiger and two Himalayan Black Bears along with 2 pairs of mouse deer from Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha. The animals have been already released in their respective enclosures and will be brought before the visitors after they undergo a 7-10 days thorough acclimatisation process.

According to a senior zoo official, the animals have been procured through an exchange programme with the city zoo handing over four green iguanas, one fishing cat, one water monitor lizard and one pair spoonbill.

“We will be sending a pair of giraffes to Nandankanan and will bring in some more animals, the details of which will be divulged in due course,” said Subhankar Sengupta, Director of Alipore Zoo.

With the arrival of the animals, the present population of tigers in the zoo has gone up to nine that includes five male and four females. The number of lions has become six that includes four lionesses. There was a pair of male Himalayan black bears and with two female ones being added, the zoo authorities are hopeful of captive breeding.

In April, the Alipore Zoo had brought one white-coloured Bengal Tiger, one pair each of ring tailed lemur, grey wolves, striped hyena, black swan, 5 wild dogs and 3 hog deer from the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP), Visakhapatnam.

The city zoo had handed over a pair of giraffes, a pair of scarlet macaw and two pairs of water monitor lizards to IGZP, Visakhapatnam in exchange.