Visitors and wildlife lovers will find more animal species in the Sambalpur Zoo. New animals are being added to the zoo as part of a wildlife exchange programme.
As per reports, the wildlife exchange programme between the Sambalpur Zoo and Bhubaneswar Nandankanan Zoo started on Tuesday. As part of this programme, as many as eight blackbucks from the Nadanakanan Zoo were sent to the Sambalpur Zoo at Motijharan in the first phase.
In return for the blackbucks, seven Baisingas will be sent to the Nandankanan Zoo. Visitors will see these animals at Nandanakan after a month, it was learned.
Speaking to the media persons, Anshu Pragyan Das, the DFO of Hirakud Wildlife Division said, "Blackbucks are usually found in Ganjam district. We have brought eight blackbucks, four males and as many females, from the Nandankanan Zoo. The animals will be isolated for quarantine for a month. After one month, we will release them inside the zoo for display.”
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The DFO also added that earlier the zoo had 15 species of animals and with the addition of blackbucks, the number of species went up to 16 now. “We wanted to nurture blackbucks in the zoo. We got the animals from the Nadankanan Zoo after obtaining approvals from the wildlife headquarters and the state government,” she added.
The DFO exuded hope that after the addition of a new species, the number of visitors will increase.