The birds are singing. The vibrant coloured peacocks are dancing. The monkeys are jumping out of joy. The usually lazy-looking crocodiles are awake. Pandas are out of their caves. The animals at Sakkarbaug Zoo in Gujarat’s Junagadh are thrilled to welcome two new zoo-mates – a pair of white tigers (male and female).

Covering over 100 kms, two white tigers have come to Sakkarbaug Zoo from Pradhyuman Zoological Park in Rajkot.

However, Sakkarbaug Zoo had to let go of a pair of lions in exchange for the tigers. A male and female lion have been sent to the Pradhyuman Park.

The white tiger couple was kept in a quarantine facility for 21 days as per the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The two tigers have been put on the jungle safari route.

After two and a half years, tourists will see the beauty at the Sakkarbaug Zoo. Tourists will have to shell out Rs. 50 extra to see the white tiger.

The give and take of lions and tigers took place under the Animal Exchange Program. The Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a statutory body of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change believes that the role of Zoo has changed from “mere exhibition centres to centres of conservation”.

CZA opines that Zoos have a responsibility to provide the animals in their stock better housing and upkeep which can ensure that there are no premature deaths and that the animals live a quality life of adequate longevity.

“This objective can be achieved only through expeditious transfer/exchange of animals from one Zoo to another. Keeping single animals or unpaired animals merely for the sake of increasing the number of species on display is counter productive,” it says.

(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad)

New Delhi:

A leopard cub entered the bio-energy laboratory of the engineering department at the Junagadh Agricultural University in Gujarat today spreading panic on the campus.

Students promptly vacated the lab, shut the door, and locked the animal inside.

A video recorded by the students showed the animal running around inside the lab.

The Forest Department was informed and officials rescued the cub after tranquilising it.

“We received information from the Agricultural University that a leopard had entered the premises. We reached the spot in 15 minutes. We caged the leopard and rescued it safely,” Range Forest Officer Arvind Bhalia said.

The cub was later sent to Junagadh’s Sakkarbaug Zoo.

(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad)