MANGALURU: Pilikula Biological Park, one of the major zoos in India with more than 1,200 wild animals including mammals, birds and reptiles has undertaken captive conservation breeding of King Cobra and other animals. The main objectives of the zoo include conservation, education and scientific research of wild animals. Now the park has taken up the implanting of microchips in wild animals and reptiles.
H J Bhandary, Directorof Pilikula Biological Park in a press communique said, "Since most of the animals of the same species look identical, microchipping is carried out to differentiate them easily. During the captive breeding programme to maintain the genetic lineage and to avoid inbreeding individual identification is important."
"Pilikula Zoo has taken up the tagging procedures for the wild animals by implanting microchips. It is a tiny electronic device implanted under the sub- cutaneous layer of skin. Microchips have a separate receiver which consists of a handheld scanner. Individual names of the animal and transponder numbers are recorded in stud books," he added.
He further said that microchipping of King Cobras selected for captive breeding is underway and tagging with microchips to Tigers, Lions, and Panthers will be taken up. Some of the selected speciessuch as the Striped hyena, Wild dog, Indian grey wolf, Sloth bear and crocodiles like Gharial and Nile species are included.
"During the process, identification of sex will be done using sex probing instruments along with recording accurate length and weight. For determining the sex in birds, DNA testing will be done. The implanted microchips are imported and microchipping will be completed within a month. Scientific procedures of implanting microchips are done in the veterinary hospital of the zoo. Implanted microchips can last till life time," he added.