PATNA: Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, commonly known as Patna zoo, will soon get two lionesses from Hyderabad zoo in exchange of a female giraffe as part of animal exchange programme. This will be the first animal exchange for Patna zoo after the outbreak of Covid-19 in March last year.
A proposal has been sent to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for the animal exchange between Patna zoo and Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad. The exchange programme with the Hyderabad zoo will be carried out to relocate the surplus animals in captivity and replenish depleting animal species at Patna zoo.
Patna zoo director Amit Kumar said the exchange would boost the zoo’s captive breeding plans and also attract the visitors.
“Once the proposal is approved by CZA, the necessary processes will begin. However, it will take some time to finish all the formalities. The population of lion at the city zoo has declined. We have just two lions at present. The arrival of lionesses, therefore, will be a big boost for the zoo. In return, we will give a female giraffe to Hyderabad zoo. The city zoo has five giraffes, including four female.”
An 18-year-old hybrid lioness, ‘Urvashi’, had passed away at Patna zoo this month due to old age. She was brought from Bokaro zoo in February 2004. In November 2020, a seven-and-a-half-year old lion, ‘Sheru’, had died due to septicaemia shock.
The last animal exchange programme of Patna zoo had taken place in December 2019, when an Indian male rhinoceros and a pair of Himalayan black bear reached the city zoo from Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden under the animal exchange programme.