Mangaluru, Nov 6: Mangaluru's Pilikula Biological Park has received six new animals from Nandan Kanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar, Odisha as part of an animal exchange program.
The park's newest residents include an Asiatic lion, a wolf, two Gharial crocodiles, a silver pheasant, and two yellow-golden pheasants.
In return, Pilikula Biological Park has sent a Dhole/Wild Dog, four Reticulated Pythons, two Bramhiny Kites, three Asian Palm Civets, and two Large Egrets to Nandankanan Zoo.
The newly arrived animals, reptiles, and birds will undergo a 15-day quarantine period, complete with necessary vaccinations and treatments, to ensure a smooth adaptation to their new environment.
Once this period is over, the public will be able to view these fascinating creatures" said H.Jayaprakash Bhandary, Director of Pilikula Biological Park.
Animal exchange programmes are conducted to provide companions for solitary animals and to preserve pure bloodlines.
Pilikula Zoo currently has three lions, and a male Asiatic lion has been brought in as a companion for the lions.
Since the number of male Asiatic lions is very low in Indian zoos, this lion has been brought from Nandankanan Zoo in Odisha, the zoo administration said.
