One of the Manipuri deer inducted on Tuesday at the Nandankanan stable. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug 23: Three Manipuri deer, three leopards, two jungle cats and a pair of beautiful slow lorises from Assam State Zoo, Guwahati, arrived at Nandankanan Zoo this afternoon. They were brought to Puri by the Guwahati-Puri Express this morning and then transported here on trucks.

Except the leopards, all the other animals were taken to their respective enclosures by the evening but one of the Manipuri deer was found suffering from physical trauma caused during transportation. The zoo doctor administered an injection to the animal.

The other animals are fine and have apparently adapted to their surroundings at their new home. The zoo, according to Central Zoo Authority (CZA), is the largest in the country to have animals within natural surroundings.

“The 10 animals from Assam arrived here today and eight animals from the zoo — two white tigers, four zebra finch (birds) and two gharial crocodiles — were sent to Assam. The programme was carried out through the zoo exchange programme. The process started long ago when our zoo director communicated with his Assamese counterpart and also the permission of the CZA was sought,’’ said assistant director of the zoo, Kamal Lochan Purohit.

“For most of the species, we receive both males and females so that they can reproduce. Some of the animals brought here today have been kept in enclosures that were under construction until recently. With the induction of the new animals, there will be 118 species inside the zoo and the total number of animals will now reach 1,180,” Purohit added.

Mama Behera, a visitor to the zoo, said: “The pair of slow loris is looking great inside the dark enclosure. Besides the injured Manipuri deer, the other two deer are looking great; and they look as if they are at home here. I hope the forest officials and veterinary experts will be able to treat the injured deer within a day or two.”

Purohit said: “All types of deer are extremely timid animals. They sometimes get injured during the journey, but we are sure the deer will soon be fine. If not, we might admit it to the zoo hospital.”

Another visitor, Ajay Pal from Bengal, said: “Nandankanan is perhaps one of the most well-maintained zoos in the country, but authorities should try to include more animals from different parts of the world.”

Of late, the zoo has been losing animals due to aging. The exchange programme is to remedy this ill. In 2008 there was a plan to get a giraffe from Calcutta Zoo in exchange for nine animals after getting the CZA nod, but the giraffe died on its way to Bhubaneswar. Again in 2009, there was a plan to have an exchange programme with a zoo in Punjab, but the proposal did not materialise.

The zoo authorities also plan a safari in which three herbivores — barking deer, spotted deer and sambar — will be seen. Forty animals have been shifted for the safari and 150 animals would be added. With this there would be three safaris in Nandankanan — lion, tiger and herbivore.

“Preliminary planning for a bear safari has begun. Pregnant chimpanzee Purnima, meanwhile, has given birth to a baby inside its enclosure. It’s male offspring is doing well and both the mother and son are under medical supervision,” a senior zoo official said.