Itanagar Biological Park welcomes new guests from Odisha

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: A pair of adult Royal Bengal tigers and three freshwater gharials arrived at Itanagar Biological Park (Itanagar Zoo) here from Nandankanan Zoo in Odisha after travelling for four days in an animal van. The animals from Odisha started their journey on July 14. The guests were received at the park by senior officials of the state forest department on Monday evening, Zoo Curator Raya Flago informed on Tuesday. The animals were accompanied by the veterinary officer of the Itanagar Biological Park, Dr. Sorang Tadap, from Odisha, along with one assistant conservator of forest and a veterinary officer from Nandankanan Zoo, Flago disclosed. The Itanagar Zoo has a 13-year-old female tiger. "The pair of the new tigers, Sahini (a female) of 2.4 years and Rocky (a male) of 2.3 years, are kept in a separate enclosure," Flago said, adding that their names would be changed at a later stage.

Healthy habitats have been created for housing tigers and gharials in the zoo. Efforts are also being made to modernise the zoo and make it up to high-quality natural standards, he added. The tigers and the gharials have been exchanged from Nandankanan Zoo in lieu of the Hoolock Gibbon and Leopard Cat as a part of the animal exchange programme between both zoos, which was approved by the Central Zoo Authority during March this year. "We will provide a pair of Hoolock Gibbons and a pair of wild cats soon to the Nandankanan Zoo authorities as per the programme," the curator disclosed.

Arunachal Pradesh is unique as it provides healthy habitats to the major cats, namely the Royal Bengal Tiger, Snow Leopard, Common Leopard, and Clouded Leopard. The arrival of two tigers in the zoo will make it more useful in generating awareness about the importance of wildlife, Flago said.

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