Jamshedpur: After teary-eyed departure of spotted deer, hog deer and Royal Bengal tiger Vivan, it's time for sambars to bid adieu to Tata Steel Zoological Park.
The zoo management has decided to shift four sambars to Jhargram Mini Zoo in Bengal later next month.
Jhargram zoo authorities have also shown keen interest before their counterparts to take care of the herbivores.
Tata zoo director Bipul Chakravarty told The Telegraph that they have decided to shift the sambars after a formal request came from Jhargram. "We are waiting for the intimation. Procedure for shifting the animals would begin once we receive a formal nod," he added.
According to him, four sambars would be sent to Jhargram. "We have 10 sambars at our disposal. Out of these, four would be sent to Jhargram zoo. The herbivores will stay in Bengal in a safari," said Chakravarty.
The zoo management is keen to shift the sambars keeping in mind the ever increasing population of the herbivores. "The sambars breed every year and give birth to three to four calves at a time. The population will keep on multiplying if we don't shift them from here," the zoo director, a former scientific officer with Central Zoo Authority, explained.
Meanwhile, the process for shifting the remaining spotted deer to North Bengal Wild Animal Park, Siliguri, is underway at Tata zoo. So far, 41 herbivores have been shifted to Bengal.
Chakravarty said the remaining spotted deer were likely to be shifted by late Friday evening. "A 10-member team from West Bengal Zoo Authority (WBZA) is involved in the process of shifting the animals," he added.
Twenty one spotted deer and five hog deer and male tiger Vivan have already bid good-bye to Tata zoo. While the herbivores left on Wednesday late evening, a reluctant Vivan was transported to Siliguri zoo on Thursday late afternoon.
Tata zoo vet Manik Palit on Friday said he was extremely sad at the departure of Vivan. "I will always remember Vivan as a good and healthy tiger. He was the best among other tigers I have reared in Tata zoo. I will badly miss Vivan," he said.
