This Christmas, get ready to meet Birsa zoo’s first black panther

RANCHI: Visitors to the city zoo will be in for a treat on Christmas day as the biological park’s newest member, a black panther, will greet them on Tuesday. The feline species which was translocated from Assam State Zoo in Guwahati last month, completed its 28-day quarantine period, and is now ready to meet the visitors from across the enclosure.
Talking to TOI on Sunday, Ranchi zoo director S K Gupta said the solitary black panther will be hosted in its enclosure on Christmas. “It will be a Christmas treat for visitors coming to our zoo to watch the unique species from close quarters. For us too, this is one of our prized possessions,” an elated Gupta said.

The zoo’ veterinarian Ajay Kumar said that the male black-panther, aged about seven years, is in pink of his health and has adjusted to weather conditions here. “It came from a cold and hilly terrain. The location of our zoo is such that weather conditions are more or less similar to its original habitat, due to adequate green cover around the vicinity. The black panther is also taking proper diet, which is another indicator of the animal doing good,” Kumar said.

At present the zoo is serving its lone black panther about 2.5 kg of buffalo diet along with multivitamins every day. Sources said the zoo authorities are working on a plan to get a female black panther from Guwahati zoo to facilitate in situ breeding programme. Zoo officials, however, didn’t officially confirm the plan yet. “This particular male panther successfully bred with his female partner in Guwahati zoo and gave birth to a cub recently. The female is taking care of the little one in Guwahati. Once the cub grows a little old, we will get the female partner here,” said a source.

Meanwhile, the city zoo, also popularly known as Birsa Zoo, has put up elaborate measures in places — both by altering diets and through other means — to keep its 1,000-odd inmates warm and cosy from chilly temperature. Ranchi’s temperature is witnessing a steep decline this year. On Sunday the state capital recorded a minimum of 5°C whereas Kanke, on the outskirts of the city, shivered at 3.5 °C.

“We have increased the protein-based diet for carnivores besides giving them doses of Vitamin A and D3. For herbivores, carbohydrate rich diet is given. Routine arrangements like heat convectors, paddy straws, bonfire etc are being put up,” explained the vet.