The Nandankanan zoo on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, March 9: The state government is planning to import a few rare species of animals and birds from zoos abroad to Nandankanan Zoological Park within six months.

An official of the forest and environment department said they were in talks with the Centre to bring an orangutan, zebras and some exotic birds from South Asia and Africa to the zoo.

For such an ambitious project, the state government has been in discussion with the Union ministry of environment and forests and the Central Zoo Authority. Besides, they also have to approach the director-general of the foreign trade for export and import licence for the same.

“It is likely to take some time to get the director-general’s approval. We have started the process,” said a senior official.

With the general election and state Assembly poll dates have been declared and the code of conduct in force, the authorities did not divulge much information. But, they said the process had been slowed down for preparation of the ensuing elections. Sources in the state forest and environment department said an orangutan would be imported from a South Asian country while zebras and exotic birds such as swans would be brought from an African nation.

“We have been in talks with the zoo authorities abroad, so that we can reach a conclusion about the animals to be purchased,” an official said.

A senior official, who was associated with Nandankanan, said it would be after 20 years when the government contemplated importing rare species of animals from overseas. Twenty years ago, the authorities had imported zebras and chimpanzees from Tel Aviv zoo in Israel, which is known as Zoological Research Garden, to Nandankanan on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

Apart from getting approvals, the state government authorities are also looking for transporters to carry these animals at a feasible fee. Sources said the government would have to shell out heavy transportation charges to import the animals.

Another official said that the purchase and transportation of these animals and birds were too much expensive as only a small number of cargo airlines offered such services. “We are in talks with some international airlines that have been providing cargo facilities. There are some cargo carriers that can easily transport giant animals such as elephants and giraffes,” said the official.

The Nandankanan zoo houses over 2,000 animals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, apart from 25 tigers, six lions and seven leopards. It is one of the two zoos in the country having an orangutan with the other one being Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.