Zoo on look out for another chimp, exotic animals

Kanpur: A day after Chajju’s death, Kanpur Zoo administration on Tuesday launched a massive effort to bring in another chimpanzee. Chajju had died on Monday evening following a cardiac arrest. The zoo is ready with a wish-list of exotic animals.
For the first time, the zoo has is going for Kangaroo and white lion. These animals will be acquired under exchange programme from foreign zoos.Talks with Munroo Zoo in South Africa are in an advanced stage and the zoo administration is hopeful of getting white lion and Giraffe. Plans are also afoot to acquire orangutan, ostrich, wolf and fox to give visitors a chance to see a wide variety of animals. As there are only two orangutans in the country, including one in Kanpur zoo, it is sure that this time Kanpur zoo will get orangutan from some foreign zoo.
The zoo administration has planned to bring in a pair of all these animals. The new animals, including exotic ones such as chimpanzee, orangutan, ostrich, giraffe, lion, wild boar, wolf and fox, will be brought in pair. The zoo administration aims to increase the number of these animals.
Zoo director Mukesh Kumar said, “We want a wide variety of animals from both Indian and foreign zoos. Our list is long but has been meticulously prepared. Chimpanzee, orangutan, giraffe, white lion, ostrich, kangaroo, wolf, fox, wild boar, different species of turtles are in our wish-list and negotiations are going on with several zoos,” said Mukesh Kumar.
He added that talks were also underway for four species of snakes, golden langurs, lion-tailed monkeys, spotted turtles etc.
Zoo director revealed that from one pair of wolves would be brought from Mysore and Jaipur zoos. “From Aizwal and Itanagar zoos we will bring Hoolock Gibbon. Talks are in progress,” he said.
Director further said that the zoo orangutan was quite old and had out-lived its normal life span of 30 years. It is currently 35-year-old.
He said that Kanpur zoo had offered leopards, tigers, hippos, hyenas, sambhar, black bucks, hog deer, barking deer, spotted deer, Emu, Himalayan black bear. “The other zoos will have to choose from this list and let us know and accordingly we will go ahead,” said the zoo director.