Four zebras — two male and two female — will be flown from Taipei to Chennai (via Kuala Lumpur) and later by road to Visakhapatnam zoo next month.
Along with zebras, Taipei Zoo will send one male and three female olive baboons under an exchange programme. As part of exchange, Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad will gift two Asiatic lions to Taipei Zoo. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park has agreed in-principle to send two male and two female wild dogs to the zoo in Hyderabad.
The city zoo has India’s largest number of 27 wild dogs (excluding cubs).
The Cyclone-Hudhud-hit zoo in the city spread over 625 acres and located in close proximity to Kambalakonda Reserve Forest was recently granted US$6 million by World Bank for developing into an ecological park of international standards.
Andhra Pradesh Forest Department will shortly sign an agreement with Sarr Freight Corporation for transportation of zebras and olive baboons in crates from Taiwan to Visakhapatnam on payment of about Rs.31 lakh.
Zoo veterinarian Dr. V. Srinivas, Forest Range Officer Ali Massady and animal-keeper Tata Rao are expected to fly to Taiwan to bring the new attractions to Vizag zoo.
“We are very excited at the progress. We have tentatively decided to bring the special guests from Taipei on March 19,” Zoo Curator B. Vijay Kumar told The Hindu on Wednesday. After obtaining clearances from Customs, Director-General Foreign Trade, Central Zoo Authority, National Biodiversity Board and Wildlife Division in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the zoo authorities finalised the deal with Sarr Freight Corporation.
The State Forest Department has sought expression of interest from consultants for preparing master plan for augmenting existing and adding new facilities in the zoo.
By using World Bank funds, the zoo authorities are planning to introduce lion and tiger safari and revive deer safari. The zoo is home for 94 species and 688 inmates. It at present has two tigers, two lions, five panthers, two cheetahs, five white tigers, two jaguars, two hippos and two giraffe. The zoo, which also looks after Animal Rescue Centre located close-by houses 17 lions and seven tigers. All these were rescued from various circus companies.
We are very excited at the progress. We have tentatively decided to bring the special guests from Taipei on March 19
B. Vijay Kumar
Zoo Curator
