To the delight of the people of Visakhapatnam, they can see a pair of Grant’s Zebras (Equua
quagga boehmi) at the Zebra enclosure in the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in the city. These animals were released for public view as part of a release programme organised by the zoo on Thursday morning. Rear Admiral LV Sarat Babu, NM, IN (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, flagged off the release of the two animals. K. Siva Harsha and S. Anil Kumar from Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), officials and staff of the zoological park and media personnel attended the event.
The two Zebras were received from the Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, as part of an animal exchange programme on 21 November 2019. Then, they were transported by rail from Shalimar railway station in Kolkata, to Visakhapatnam. Through the support of the officials of the Howrah division, Shalimar division and Waltair division of the East Coast Railway, the transportation of the animals was safely executed. At the Visakhapatnam railway station and the animal housing facility, cranes were utilised to lift the crates containing the two animals. The Zebras were then put under observation for a quarantine period of 21 days at the zoo in Visakhapatnam to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The female Zebra is 3 years old while the male Zebra is 2 years old. Earlier this year, Asiatic Lions were brought in from Gujarat to add to the fauna at the zoological park.
