HYDERABAD: Brightly coloured mandrills have been added to the collection at Nehru Zoological Park and will make their public debut after completing a mandatory 15-day quarantine.
The two male mandrills arrived in Hyderabad last week from Tata Zoological Park as part of an animal exchange programme, under which a pair of African lions was sent in return. Native to the tropical rainforests of Central Africa, mandrills are the world’s largest monkeys and are instantly recognisable for their striking blue and red facial ridges and bright yellow beards. The species gained wider popularity through Rafiki, the wise mandrill character in The Lion King.
“We received two male mandrills from Tata Zoological Park, Jamshedpur, as part of the animal exchange programme. They are currently under quarantine and will be displayed to visitors in the first week of March,” said J Vasantha, curator of Nehru Zoological Park.
The zoo is also planning to initiate conservation and breeding efforts for the species. Officials are working to bring in two female mandrills within the next five to six months to provide companionship for the males and establish a breeding group.
In addition to the mandrills, the zoo is set to expand its collection with kangaroos, giraffes and hillock gibbons. The Hyderabad zoo is in discussions with Vantara, a wildlife rescue and conservation centre run by Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat, to receive a pair of kangaroos under an exchange programme.
Preparations are underway, with enclosures and a dedicated night house being readied for the kangaroos. In exchange, the zoo will send one of its elephants to Vantara.