Wallabies to Livingstone’s Turacos, Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoo welcomes 4 new guests

In a new addition to the animal and bird stock in the Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP), four new guests were brought to the zoo from Hyderabad. The new guests brought under an animal exchange programme include two Wallabies and two Livingstone’s Turacos.

This is the first time the Nandankanan Zoo has got two Livingstone’s Turacos. The four new guests were brought from a private farm in Hyderabad as part of the animal exchange programme.

For the unversed, Livingstone’s Turacos are a species of bird, found in dense woodlands, and mostly distributed through the subtropical lowlands of southeastern Africa. It is also found in the humid areas of Burundi, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Livingstone’s Turaco is approximately 45cm from beak to tail and weighs about 262-380 grams. Female birds are generally slighter in appearance than males. There is a white-tipped crest erect and pointed on its head. The birds feed mainly on available fruits.

On the other hand, the wallabies look exactly like kangaroos, but are not kangaroos. Kangaroos are much taller than wallabies. Another easy way to identify a wallaby from a kangaroo is their colour. A wallaby’s coat is usually brighter with two to three different colour variations.

Visitors will be allowed to visit the new guests from December 29, authorities said.