Zoo focus on safe animal breeding - plans to provide wildlife-friendly ambience

A newborn rhino roams with its mother at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park in Patna. Telegraph picture

Patna, Aug. 26: Apart from displaying animals for visitors, the Patna zoo is now focussing on conservation of wildlife through breeding.

The zoo authorities are now putting in comprehensive efforts to conserve wildlife, including several endangered species through breeding.

The authorities are also putting in efforts to develop pseudo-natural habitat for animals inside the zoo, including developing favourable enclosures and arriving at an ideal male to female ratio for the animals to mate.

At present, there are several constraints, which are proving to be a hindrance to the breeding of the animals inside the zoo.

“The basic principle of conservation of animal includes augmentation of breeding of animals, so as to make the zoological gardens self-sustaining and if possible develop a pool of surplus animals, which can be given to the other zoos. Thus, we are making step-by-step efforts to promote breeding of animals at the zoo,” director of Patna zoo Abhay Kumar told The Telegraph.

“For instance, there are certain animals which need to be kept in a no-display area to breed. Thus, we have sent a proposal to central zoo authority (CZA) to develop a lion conservation area in the zoo, where lions would be kept in no-display area where they would be able to breed. Similar proposal has been sent to CZA for developing a rhino conservation area. We are also making plans for developing a conservation area for tigers. Moreover, we are also making efforts to complete the pair of several existing animals so that they are able to mate,” he said.

Recently, a pair of Asiatic lions, a pair of white tiger and a lone royal Bengal tiger arrived at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, Patna from Nehru zoological park, Hyderabad under an ex-change programme.

Sources said, Patna zoo has also entered into an agreement with Sipahijala zoo, Tripura, for another animal exchange programme where Patna zoo would give one female rhino and a pair of hippopotamus to the Sipahijala zoo and in return would get one pair of spectacled languor, a pair of clouded leopard, one pair of pig-tailed macaque, a pair of leopard cat, one silver and one golden pheasant.

“There are certain animals which are not being able to breed as they do not have breeding partners. The problem has almost been solved for lions and tigers with for the recent addition from the Hyderabad zoo. We will also come up with a similar breeding solution for leopards, languor and pheasant if the exchange programme with Tripura zoo is successful,” Abhay said, adding that the animal exchange apart, there are several other fundamental wildlife issues, which the zoo authorities are looking forward to address in future in order to promote mating and breeding of captive animals here.

Abhay added that plans are afoot to develop a modern aviary for Patna zoo.