In one of the biggest exchanges, the Delhi zoo is set to welcome a variety of popular animals and birds this month. The zoo which was bereft of an ostrich since 24 years will soon be home to a pair of the largest flightless bird.
Besides, owing to prolonged ill-health of its lone male rhinoceros, Shiva, authorities are also bringing another one from Kanpur. Other creatures making their way into the zoo include a jaguar, a Royal Bengal Tiger and a pair of hornbill birds.
“A male and a female ostrich will be in the zoo by Monday. They have been sent from the Thiruvananthapuram zoo and in return we will be sending them a female
white tiger. They are even giving us a male jaguar increasing the count to four,” said RA Khan, curator, National Zoological Park, Delhi. After the death of the lone surviving ostrich in 1990 the zoo did not have any ostriches. Currently the park has Australian flightless birds like the emu and the cassowary.
A pair of gaurs (Indian bison), wolves, black swans and a male Royal Bengal tiger is coming from the zoo in Mysore. The Capital’s zoo currently has four rhinos out of which three are females. “We needed a male rhino for breeding purpose. The lone male rhino, Shiva, in our zoo has been injured ever since he was brought from Mumbai. His wounds run deep and because of the pain he is unable to mate with female rhinos,” added Khan. Turning the number into five, the rhino will be sent from Kanpur and will reach the zoo by end of March.
From Darjeeling, the Delhi zoo is getting four colourful Kalij pheasants which are generally found in the Himalayan foothills. “The Darjeeling zoo is sending one male and three female golden pheasants. A pair each of lady Amherst’s pheasant and common langurs is also arriving. From Assam, we are getting three leopards, whereas Jaipur is sending wolves,” informed Khan.
Arunachal Pradesh’s pride, the Great Hornbill bird will also be seen in the Delhi zoo as the Itanagar zoo is sending a pair along with two female Hoolock gibbons. “From Gopalpur in Himachal Pradesh, two male Himalayan black bears are coming, whereas from Vilaspur, a jungle cat is being sent,” said Khan.