Vizag’s Indira Gandhi Zoological Park will soon be adding five new exotic animals and birds to its kitty. The species will be brought in from foreign zoos next month. Four zebras are expected to be here from Israel come February. The zoo authorities have completed formalities with the Israel zoo and will soon begin the process of bringing in the animals. They will be open to public after staying a month under quarantine.
A pygmy hippo and fishing cat are also being brought in from Colombo zoo after a delay close to one year. The animals have to be vaccinated before they are brought into the country and the unavailability of a certain vaccine had delayed the process previously. The animals will be brought in as soon as the vaccine is procured by the zoo authorities and sent to Colombo.
The zoo will also be getting 20 flamingos from Japan soon. On top of all these exotic species coming in, the Czech Republic team that visited the zoo last year had proposed an animal exchange programme. They proposed to send in four red-necked wallaby in exchange for painted storks and grey pelicans.
The zoo authorities have written to the Central Zoo Authority and Director General Foreign Trade for the permissions required.
