ITANAGAR, 17 Jul: A pair of adult Royal Bengal tigers and three freshwater ghariyals (crocodiles) were brought to the Itanagar Biological Park (Itanagar zoo) from the Nandankanan zoo in Odisha on Monday.
The animals were received at the biological park by the park’s director, in the presence of the EF&CC principal secretary, the principal chief conservator of forests, and other officers of the department.
The tigers and the gharials have been brought here in exchange for a Hoolock gibbon and a leopard cat with the Nandankanan zoo, as part of the animal exchange programme between the two zoos, authorised by the Central Zoo Authority in March this year.
“Arunachal Pradesh provides healthy habitats to major cats, namely, Royal Bengal tiger, snow leopard, common leopard and clouded leopard.
The arrival of two tigers in the zoo will make it more useful in generating awareness on the importance of wildlife,” the zoo authority said.
Healthy habitats have been created for housing the tigers and the gharials in the zoo, and efforts are being made to modernise the zoo.
The Itanagar Biological Park currently has more than 30 mammal species, 12 bird species and four reptile species housed inside the park area. The facility also has a rescue centre maintained by the park’s veterinary supervisor, Zoo Curator Raya Flago said.