Patna Zoo to welcome male gaurs, plans new arrivals of lions & rhinos

Patna: After recently adding several new species to its collection, Patna Zoo is now preparing for another round of animal arrivals, with two male gaurs from Karnataka expected to reach the zoo by July 25.The transfer has been approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) as part of its animal exchange programme. Patna Zoo currently houses two female gaurs and the arrival of the males is expected to pave the way for a healthy breeding population.Zoo director Hemant Patil said the addition of male gaurs would help improve the zoo’s breeding ratio. “We currently have only two female gaurs. Once the male arrives, we will have a proper breeding group, which is important for the species’ conservation,” he said.In addition to the gaurs, the zoo is planning to bring a pair of Asiatic lions from Rajgir Zoo Safari. Patil said discussions have already taken place, although the proposal is yet to be formally submitted to the CZA to further expedite the process. “The final arrangement will depend on the requirements of Rajgir Zoo Safari,” he added. The city zoo currently has two lionesses.Another proposal under discussion involves bringing a pair of two-horned rhinoceroses from Singapore Zoo.

However, Patil said the plan remains at a preliminary stage. According to him, the process has been delayed because the Singapore Zoo is currently awaiting a female rhinoceros, which they are arranging from another zoo. In exchange, they want one male one-horned rhino from Patna Zoo and some species from the deer family.He added that international animal transfers involve multiple levels of clearance, quarantine procedures and regulatory approvals, making the process significantly longer than domestic transfers.The latest plans come after Patna Zoo recently expanded its collection with a white tiger from Delhi Zoo, along with Shanghai deer, white blackbucks, rosy pelicans and painted storks from Delhi and silver pheasants from Rohtak Zoo. All of these new arrivals are now on public display except the white blackbucks.