HYDERABAD: The stalemate over finding partners for a majority of 42 species at the Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) here, which have been forced to stay single for a long time, is likely to end soon with the Central Zoo Authority accepting the proposals put forward by the state forest department. The orders reached the city zoo two days ago.
The approval is for animal exchange as well as procurement. Though this is said to be the first animal exchange proposal approved since formation of the state, it is also deemed to be the biggest exchange and procurement programme in over a decade.
On Monday, the first batch of four mouse deer left the zoo here for the Bilaspur zoo while a batch of striped hyena and leopard cat has started for Hyderabad from the Ranchi zoo.
Confirming it, officials said that NZP had entered into an agreement for exchange of animals with eight zoos in the country. These zoos are in Kanpur, Lucknow, Surat, Indore, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Guwahati and Chandigarh. On the whole, NZP will receive 38 animals of 12 species in return for 21 animals of four species.
Through the exchange programme, the NZP will be receiving a pair of barking deer and two pairs of crow pheasant from Kanpur, two pairs of swamp deer from Lucknow, a pair of Otter from Surat, a pair each of Indian fox and hyena and one Indian wolf from Indore, one gharial and three barking deer from Bilaspur, a pair each of striped hyena and leopard cat from Ranchi, a pair of stump tail macaque and two pairs of Himalayan black bear from Guwahati apart from a pair each of goral, black buck, golden pheasant and one Himalayan black bear.
In return, NZP will be sending away 14 mouse deer, four Asiatic lions, two tigers and one white tiger.
“With the upcoming exchange and procurement, most of the single animals will be complemented with partners. We hope to complete the process by mid-March,” said MA Hakeem, assistant director of NZP.
The proposals had been sent in December last. The two zoos involved in exchange programme have to bear the transportation cost.
“Through procurement, we are purchasing 11 species of exotic birds including eastern rosella, blue-eared pigeon and olden-handed tamarin monkey. These are exotic species which could not be brought in exchange programme,” said the assistant director. However, animals like giraffe and chimpanzees in the zoo here will have to wait longer to find partners as officials say certain zoos have not shown any interest in this regard.
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