Bhubaneswar : To enhance the beauty of Nandankanan Zoological Park and attract more and more tourists, 58 exotic animals of 14 species have arrived. With the approval of the Central Zoo Authority, these animals, gifted by the Radhakrishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust based in Gujarat, reached Nandankanan late Friday night. After undergoing preliminary health examinations by wildlife veterinarians, they have been kept in the zoo's quarantine facility and special enclosures. It is learnt that they will be released into the enclosures for visitors' entertainment after a month.
Among these animals that have arrived from Gujarat are two pairs of zebras, two pairs of kangaroos, 3 pairs of Bennett's wallabies, 2 pairs of ring-tailed lemurs, 2 pairs of tufted capuchins, 2 pairs of scarlet macaws, 2 pairs of blue-and-gold macaws, 2 pairs of green-winged macaws, 2 pairs of sulphur-crested cockatoos, 2 pairs of crowned cranes, 2 pairs of scarlet ibises, 3 pairs of meerkats, one pair of cassowaries, and 2 pairs of blue wildebeests. Of the 14 species, there are animals of 10 new species. With the formation of a pair for one species and the inclusion of new bloodlines (genetic sources) in the case of 3 species, the total number of species in the zoo has increased to 188. Nandankanan Deputy Director Mirase Pradeep Debi Das said that this new addition is expected to strengthen the zoo's species diversity and increase conservation and educational activities.