The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : White tigers get a new home

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Tuesday, Oct 03, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

White tigers get a new home

Staff Reporter

They arrive at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park from Delhi

AT HOME: The male white tiger at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur. - Photo: A. Muralitharan

CHENNAI: The Vandalur Zoological Park here is the new home for a pair of white tigers. They arrived at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park from Delhi on Sunday.

The tigers were received in exchange for a pair of Lion-Tailed Macaques, which would be soon sent to the Delhi zoo, according to P.L. Ananthasamy, Chief Conservator of Forests and Zoo Director.

This is the second time white tigers have been brought to the AAZP. About 12 years ago, a female white tigress was brought from the Nandan Kanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, said wildlife authorities.

However, the female died within a year. The AAZP authorities again tried to bring in a pair of white tigers. Initially, the Bhilai Zoo agreed, but it never materialised, they said.

The tiger pair from Delhi arrived at Chennai in a scheduled Indian flight, which landed at the domestic terminal around 2.30 p.m. After completing the formalities, the pair was taken to the zoo at around 3.30 p.m.

Both the animals needed to acclimatise to the new environs, said Mr. Ananthasamy. Moreover, the moated enclosure for the pair is under renovation. "It is for these reasons the white tiger pair will not be kept in the enclosures for public view immediately." The male named Bishmar, aged about two years, weighs 130 kg and the female Anu, about 18 months old, tips the scale at 120 kg, said zoo biologists.

Zoo veterinarians said both the animals ate well without any problem. However, they would be monitored for the next few days, they said. Visitors have to wait for a few more days to catch a glimpse of the tigers.

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