Monday, March 30, 2015

After white tigers, Kanpur zoo eyes pair of Asiatic lion.


KANPUR: After a pair of white tiger, Kanpur Zoo is now eying a pair of Asiatic Lions. Discussions are already underway with a few leading zoos across the country.

The zoo had procured one-and-a-half-year-old white tiger Luv from Chandigarh Zoo on February 4 this year, while white tigress Savitri arrived from Vizag Zoo on March 3. Savitri will celebrate fourth birthday on March 16.

Meanwhile, zoo authorities are in talks with their Jaipur, Rajkot and Bhopal counterparts for a pair of Asiatic lion. A pair of Asiatic lion headed to Lion Safari in Etawah was housed in the zoo for six months. However, soon after being shifted to the safari, both of them died after suffering from canine distemper disease.

The zoo authorities are trying to find a pair of Asiatic lion for the vacant enclosure ever since. Zoo director Mukesh Kumar said that efforts were underway to procure a pair of Asiatic lions and added that till the arrival of lions, their enclosure would be used to house white tigers.

On mating Luv and Savitri, he said that Luv was not yet ready due to its age. "Hence, we are yet to decide Savitri's partner. But it is still early to comment as we need more space to accommodate offsprings," he said.

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