BHUBANESWAR: If things go as planned, Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) may get a pair of cheetahs and four white lions along with other exotic species in the new year. The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has permitted the zoo authorities to bring the prized species from Dubai Safari Park in UAE under an animal exchange programme. Sources in the wildlife wing of the state Forest department said it is going to be one of the major and biggest animal exchange programmes in the state.
As per CZA’s approval, Nandankanan will bring a pair of cheetahs, a male and a female, in exchange for three pairs of Sangai deer. Besides, the zoo will bring four African white lions, one male and three female, in exchange for a hog deer under the programme.
Similarly, it will also bring a pair of African lions in exchange for five black bucks, two males and three females, and four red tail lemurs, a male and three females, in lieu of two pairs of Gaur. Dubai Zoo has also agreed to give two male Chimpanzees in exchange for a female hippopotamus, three red-necked wallabies for a pair of red jungle fowl and eight hamadryas baboons, three male and five female, for a pair of Gharial.
Apart from the species, Nandankanan has also planned to bring nine African grey parrots, four male and three female, and five blue and gold Macaw chicks under the exchange programme. Sources said the CZA has given the consent for an exchange programme, following NZP’s assurance to ensure requisite housing facilities as per the guidelines.
Accordingly, CZA has also laid down certain conditions that include proper quarantine and health screening of the species, and compliance to protocols issued by the Central and State authorities for Covid-19 and zoonotic diseases.
Besides, the CZA approval will also be valid only for a year. The zoo received the CZA consent after struggling for more than three years. The previous plan of the zoo to bring the exotic species in 2019-20 had failed as requisite permission for the same could not obtained from the CZA as well as the director general of Foreign Trade.