The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Zoo to get lions, bison

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Saturday, Feb 09, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Zoo to get lions, bison

Staff Reporter

Plans to exchange hippo for exotic birds

READY FOR A CHANGE: One of the pair of tigers to be given away by the Thiruvananthapuram zoo in exchange for a pair of bison from the zoo in Goa.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After months of delay the city zoo has finally readied the paperwork relating to the bringing over of a pair of lions from the zoo at Vandalloor, Chennai.

A team from the zoo will leave shortly to Vandalloor for bringing the lions over. The city zoo is also considering the possibility of bringing over a pair of bison from the zoo at Goa. In exchange for this, the zoo will have to give away a pair of tigers. “We have learnt that the Goa zoo has excess numbers of bison. So we are thinking of asking for a couple,” zoo director Elcy George said.

The proposal for bringing over a pair of white tigers from the National Zoological Park at Delhi has also been delayed as the city zoo has to exchange a pair of lion-tailed macaques. This animal being classified as endangered the Central Zoo Authority has asked the city zoo to submit details. Only after studying the profiles, including health, of all the macaques, the Authority is expected to give its nod for the exchange.

According to Ms. George, the zoo has also submitted a proposal to the State government to give a male hippo to a Mumbai-based circus company in exchange for a number of exotic birds. “Since the transfer of exotic birds is involved we have sought the sanction of the government. The Great Bombay Circus is a recognised company. In return for the hippo we will get a number of birds including the ‘panchavarna kili’,” she said.

The zoo is also planning to organise a training programme for elephant keepers of zoos in South India – a programme funded by the Central Zoo Authority. “We also hope to inaugurate our new giraffe enclosure around that time,’ Ms. George added.

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