Delhi Zoo Welcomes New Wildlife Amidst Animal Exchange Program

Delhi Zoo is set to receive a Bengal tiger, a rhinoceros, and a blackbuck from Assam Zoo as part of an animal exchange program. The program aims to diversify and aid conservation efforts. The exchange had been delayed due to extreme weather but is now slated for September 2.

After a long hiatus, the Delhi Zoo is preparing to welcome new residents, including a Bengal tiger, a rhinoceros, and a blackbuck, through an animal exchange program with Assam, an official announced on Friday.

'The zoo team will depart for Assam in a truck on September 2 to bring new members to our zoo,' a Delhi Zoo official told PTI.

A male rhinoceros, a Bengal tiger, and a blackbuck will be part of the exchange program, he said.

Delhi's National Zoological Park, commonly called Delhi Zoo, had approached the Assam zoo for a male rhinoceros since it has not housed one for the past nine years, the official added.

Under the exchange program, the Assam State Zoo-cum Botanical Garden requested a female rhinoceros and a Bengal tiger from Delhi Zoo. The exact date for transferring the animals to Assam from Delhi remains unclear.

'Delhi's zoo has two female rhinoceros -- Maheshwari and her daughter Anjuna,' the official noted.

'This marks the first exchange in several years, as the program had been repeatedly postponed due to extreme temperature fluctuations and unfavorable weather conditions,' he said.

The animal exchange program is crucial for the zoo's diversification and conservation efforts.

According to the official, it will take four days for the team to reach Assam and another four days to return with the animals safely.

Zoo authorities are hopeful about the success of the program, citing favorable weather conditions for the safe transport of the animals.

(With inputs from agencies.)