As part of an animal exchange programme between Guwahati and Mysore zoo, one male tiger will be brought in to Assam State Zoo Cum Botanical Garden soon.
“We have an animal exchange programme under which we are getting one male royal Bengal tiger from Mysore zoo on March 11. In addition there will be a pair of black buck from Mysore zoo,” DFO of Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden, Tejas Mariswamy told Northeast Now.
Mariswamy added, “We had a male tiger until May 2017. Now after the exchange, the main purpose would be breeding among the royal Bengal tigers and the white tigers.”
Currently, the Guwahati zoo has four female tigers including white tigers.
It was back in 2006 that a female tiger was brought from Shimoga zoo.
There is no existing population of black buck in the Guwahati zoo. The Zoo DFO informed that after this exchange of a pair of black buck, it will be a new species addition for the zoo.
“In exchange, one pair of leopard cat, two pairs of Great White Pelicans, one pair of barking deer and one pair of Sangai deer will be sent to Mysore zoo,” Mariswamy said.
In order to maintain a variety of species and to stabilize the existing population in zoos across the country, the animal exchange programmes are the preferred route at present.
“We also have plans to get some crocodiles and gharials from Kanpur zoo but the proposals are in the process,” Mariswamy noted.