Patna, Feb. 10: The animal count at the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park is set to go up next month with seven additions to its feline family.

A pair of leopards, two male and a female leopard cat and two female jungle cats are scheduled to arrive at the zoo by the first week of March.

The Patna park would be getting these seven animals under the exchange programmes it has with the Assam State Zoo, Guwahati, and Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura.

Patna zoo director Abhay Kumar told The Telegraph: “Under the exchange programme with Tripura zoo, we are expected to send a pair of hippopotamuses, a pair of Indian peacocks, a pair of golden pheasants and another pair of silver pheasants. In return, we would get one pair of leopard cats. Correspondingly, we have already sent one hippopotamus, pairs of Indian peacocks, golden pheasants and silver pheasants. Under the agreement with Guwahati zoo, we are getting a pair of leopards, one leopard cat and two female jungle cats and in return we are sending a pair of jackals, one male and two female common langoors and a pair of golden pheasants.”

“A team of officials, including a veterinary doctor, would leave for Sepahijala and Guwahati on February 22. A truck carrying animals from Patna zoo would be sent on February 26. The truck carrying the animals from both locations is expected to return to Patna around March 2,” said an official.

Zoo authorities said the ongoing exchange programmes are aimed at promoting animal breeding. “There are certain animals which are not able to breed due to lack of partners. At present, the zoo has three female leopard cats but no male leopards. Similarly, there are two female leopards but no male leopards. There are two male jungle cats but without any female counterparts. The gender disparity is obstructing breeding of their species,” said director Kumar.