Jamshedpur: A male tiger from Alipore Zoological Garden in Calcutta will replace Vivan at the animal plant here.

Tata Steel Zoological Park has initiated talks with West Bengal Zoo Authority (WBZA) to procure a male tiger. Keeping in mind the breeding aspects, the zoo authorities here are keen to get a replacement for Vivan, who was shifted to North Bengal Wild Animal Park, Siliguri, on Thursday.

Tata zoo director Bipul Chakravarty said talks were on with West Bengal authorities. "There is a procedure to procure animals from other zoos. But we will get one from Alipore zoo when the decks are clear," he added.

Chakravarty, a former scientific officer with the Central Zoo Authority, told The Telegraph that the Calcutta zoo would provide them a stray tiger from the Sundarbans. "Sometimes stray tigers are rescued from Sundarbans by WBZA and brought to different zoos in the neighbouring state," he added.

According to the zoo director, stray tigers are rehabilitated and later released to other zoos on exchange basis. "Stray tigers are released only when they are fit or otherwise kept at zoos," Chakravarty said.

Asked when the replacement for Vivan would reach Tata zoo, Chakravarty said the process would take some time as they already have an adult male white tiger Kailash.

"The white tiger will someday mate with Aahana (the female tiger and sister of Vivan). So, bringing another adult male tiger would pose complications. We are not showing urgency to procure a tiger but would like to get one in due course of time," he added.

Kailash mated with Vivan's another sister Dona earlier this year.

Tata zoo currently has six tigers - Dona and her three female cubs, Aahana and Kailash.

Tata zoo was forced to shift Vivan for breeding purpose. "Shifting of Vivan was a good decision as otherwise he wouldn't have been able to breed here with his sisters around," said a Tata zoo official.

Besides Vivan, Tata zoo shifted 100 spotted deer and five hog deer to Siliguri recently.