CHENNAI: After years of struggling with a shrinking lion population and the absence of a compatible breeding pair, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur is preparing to revive its captive breeding programme with the arrival of a new pair of Asiatic lions from Indore Zoo under an animal exchange programme.
Zoo authorities said the newly arrived male and female Asiatic lions are expected to strengthen conservation breeding efforts and improve genetic diversity among captive lions at the Chennai zoo. The pair will also become a key attraction at the zoo’s lion safari after completing a mandatory four-week quarantine period.
Officials said the zoo currently has six lions, three males and three females, but had no viable breeding pair as the existing females did not accept the males. The new arrivals are now expected to help restart captive breeding activities that had slowed down in recent years.
According to zoo sources, the lion population at Vandalur had once peaked at 13, but declined steadily because of ageing animals and deaths during the Covid-19 period. “We are now planning to kick-start captive breeding again with the arrival of the new pair,” a zoo source told TNIE.
The zoo had been attempting for the past three to four years to procure Asiatic lions from Gujarat, the last natural habitat of the species in the wild. However, the proposal reportedly remained pending despite approval from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
Zoo sources said Gujarat requires Chief Minister-level approval for the transfer of lions outside the State. “We have been trying for lions from Gujarat for several years. Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir managed to get lions from Gujarat, but Tamil Nadu’s proposal kept getting delayed,” a source said.
The zoo had sought one male and two female lions from Gujarat in exchange for a white tiger and a few other animals. Officials indicated that the proposal file has now moved forward, and approval is likely in the near future.
In the meantime, the exchange arrangement with Indore Zoo has provided immediate relief to the breeding programme.
Apart from the Asiatic lion pair, Vandalur zoo has also received a pair of Egyptian vultures and a female Red Jungle Fowl from Indore Zoo. In return, the Chennai zoo has transferred one hippopotamus, two ostriches and four yellow anacondas to Indore.
