The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Vandalur zoo gets richer by more birds

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 18, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Vandalur zoo gets richer by more birds

P. Oppili

Parakeets, pea fowls donated by Ananda Vikatan Group Chairman

— Photo: A. Muralitharan

New Arrivals: Some of the parakeets that have been donated to Vandalur zoo.

CHENNAI: Several species of Indian parakeets and pea fowls were donated to the Vandalur zoo on Wednesday.

The birds were donated by Ananda Vikatan Group of Publications Chairman S. Balasubramanian. The birds were raised in his Gemini Birds Farm at Salamangalam near Padappai.

The birds included 24 ring-necked parakeets, 23 plum-headed parakeets, 10 pea fowls, 6 Alexandrian parakeets and an equal number of Moustached parakeets, 4 Malabar parakeets besides three pea fowl chicks.

Of the donated birds, pea fowls are very special as they are hybrid varieties. Mr. Balasubramanian had a black-shouldered pea fowl that after mating with a common pea fowl gave birth to a new breed of pea fowls.

The male pea fowls are colourful, while the females look slightly dull.

“The Vandalur zoo does not have this mutation,” he said. A few years ago, Mr Balasubramanian donated Cassowaries and Emus to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur.

According to Chief Conservator of Forests and zoo director P. L. Ananthasamy, the arrival of new birds from Gemini Birds Farm has helped in enriching the bird collection at the zoo.

Arrival of new Indian parakeet species would help in avoiding in-breeding. The zoo now has got a new set of breeding pairs of these birds, he said. The zoo authorities have released all parakeet species into the exhibit area.

The pea fowls and the chicks have been quarantined and would be released into the bird’s area after the quarantine period, they added.

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