Vandalur zoo to get a pair of Himalayan Black Bears

The Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Vandalur, is launching an ambitious breeding programme for the Himalayan Black Bear ( Selenarctos thiba tanus laniger ) as the zoo would be soon getting a young pair of Himalayan Black Bears from the Nandankannan Zoological Park, Odisha, to give company to a lone male at the park and a proposal for one more pair of Himalayan Black Bears from the Aizwal Zoo, Mizoram is awaiting the approval of Central Zoo Authority (CZA). 

Himalayan Black Bears are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. Himalayan Black Bears face serious threat to existence due to frequent loss of habitat and also poaching for its rich fur. So, a breeding programme aims at improving its population under captivity. 

The CZA authorities had inspected the facilities provided at the Vandalur Zoo and gave the green signal, satisfied with the conditions where the bears are going to be kept. “We have a male Himalayan Black Bear at the zoo and we wanted to have pairs to begin our breeding programme,” Manimozhi, the AAZP biologist, said. 

Apart from Himlayan Black Bears, AAZP would be getting a pair of water monitor lizards, a male Siamese Croc, two pairs of Open Billed Stork, two pairs of White Ibis and a male Hyena from the Nandankannan Zoological Park. 

It would also get a pair of Brow Antlered Deer, a pair of Wild Dog and a pair of Lady Armherst’s Pheasant from the Mysore and two males and three females of Mouse deer and a male Jungle Cat from the Hyderabad Zoo under the animal exchange programme. 

After a brief lull, the Zoo has once again stepped up its animal exchange programme to bring in more exotic varieties of animals and also to launch several new breeding programmes. The tiger breeding programme of the AAZP has been a huge success, which has almost become a role model for the remaining biological parks. 

Apart from the proposal for a pair of Himalayan Black Bears from the Mizoram Zoo, CZA is also now considering the AAZP proposal for a male Wild Dog, a pair of Pig Tailed Macaque and an Assamese Macaque from the Aizwal Zoo, Mizoram. It has also submitted a proposal to bring in a pair of Hill Myna and a pair of Gadwall (Dabbling duck) from the Assam Zoo.