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Leopard cats and lion-tailed macaque are the latest arrivals to Mysore zoo

Staff Correspondent

UNIQUE SPECIES: The female lion-tailed macaque which has arrived in Mysore zoo. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: Two male leopard cats and a female lion tailed macaque have arrived in Mysore zoo from the Pilikula Biological Park in Mangalore.

While the leopard cat is expected to add variety to the collection in the zoo, which did not have any representation from the species, the female lion-tailed macaque is expected to aid the breeding of this particular type of monkey.

In return for the male leopard cats and the lion-tailed macaque, Mysore zoo has parted with a pair of lions from its surplus stock to handed them over to the Pilikula Biological Park under an exchange programme approved by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.

Executive Director of Mysore zoo G.V. Ranga Rao said the zoo did not have any leopard cats. Mysore zoo has two male and three female lion-tailed macaques. But, all three females have aged and the breeding programme has suffered a setback. "The female lion-tailed macaque may be useful in the breeding and building of the lion-tailed macaque stock," Mr. Ranga Rao added.

The general build of a leopard cat is similar to the normal domestic cat, but with longer legs and a longer back. "

They have relatively small heads with a short narrow muzzle and a thick tail about 11 to 14 inches long. They have large eyes as they are nocturnal animals," he said.

The body of a leopard cat varies between 25 and 32 inches and their weight is anywhere between 7 to 15 pounds. However, the size and weight of leopard cat varies between sub species in different geographical regions. " The males are generally heavier than females," Mr. Ranga Rao said. The presence of Asian leopard cat is not restricted to Southern Asia. They are found in China, Korea and Soviet Far East, and Sumatra and Philippines.

The lion-tailed macaque is a medium sized monkey with shiny black fur and long greyish-white hair around its face. It gets its name from its long tail, which has a tassel at the end like that of a lion. Both sexes look alike except that males are slightly larger.

While the male weighs around 7 kg, the female weighs around 5 kg, Mr. Ranga Rao said.

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