Darjeeling PNHZ park plan on 7 more endangered species

Darjeeling: Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZ Park) here is set to expand its conservation and breeding programme to cover seven more endangered species.

The zoo currently conserves and breeds red pandas, snow leopards and Tibetan wolves. The animals and birds selected for the second phase of the programme, which has got the nod of the Bengal forest department, are blue sheep, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan salamander, Himalayan monal, grey peacock pheasant, Himalayan blood pheasant and Satyr Tragopan.

“We do not have any blue sheep at the zoo at the moment, but we expect to get a few from Japan by the end of this year,” said A.K. Jha, the director of the zoo. Jha and his team must also bring Satyr Tragopans from elsewhere.

From now on, the Darjeeling zoo will act as a coordinating zoo for red panda, Tibetan wolf, Satyr Tragopan, grey peacock pheasant, snow leopard and Himalayan salamander. This means it will breed and exchange these animals and birds with other zoos. The exchange programme ensures a bigger gene pool for the species and creates alternative dwelling places for them, which may be required if an epidemic breaks out in any of the participating zoos.

State forest minister Ananta Roy, who visited the zoo today, named two snow leopard cubs born at the breeding centre there. Prakriti and Atithi were born on May 1 this year, and are among the 13 snow leopards currently living in the zoo.

Before his visit to the zoo, the minister attended a programme at Sukhiapokhari to mark the end of the Aranya Saptaha (Forest Week) in the hills. He also gave away the “Green School” trophy to Loreto Convent for being the most environment-friendly school in the Darjeeling hills.

Roy spoke of a new museum at the Darjeeling zoo. Sources said the Bengal Natural History Museum may be shifted there from the office of the divisional forest officer, Wildlife I.

Source: The Telegraph