Two Red Pandas to be sent to Pafos Zoo in Cyprus from Darjeeling

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 20 Nov 2023, Darjeeling: The wait is finally over. If everything goes as planned, come December, Siberian tigers will pace the enclosures of the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Pnhzp) popularly known as the Darjeeling Zoo, after many long years. 

In an exchange programme, the Pnhzp will be sending a pair of Red Pandas to the Pafos Zoo in Paphos, Cyprus and receiving a pair of Siberian tigers from there. “We are working on a suitable date for the exchange. 

The pair of Siberian tigers are expected to arrive at the Pnhzp by the first week of December from Cyprus Zoo. We will also send a pair of zoo-bred Red Pandas to them simultaneously,“ stated Basavaraj Holeyachi, Director, Pnhzp talking to the Millennium Post. 

The male and female tigers coming from Cyprus are one and a half years old. They will arrive from Cyprus to Kolkata by flight. From Kolkata, they will be brought to Darjeeling by road accompanied by a team from the Darjeeling Zoo, including veterinarians. At present the animals are being kept in one month quarantine in Cyprus. 

“On arriving in Darjeeling too they will be kept in quarantine for a month,” added the Director. Earlier the Pnhzp used to have Siberian tigers. However, it has been years since the last of the tigers died of old age and since then the zoo has been devoid of Siberian tigers. 

Meanwhile, a six-year-old male Red Panda and a two-year-old female Panda Red Panda will be sent to Cyprus Zoo, in exchange. The Red Pandas have been bred in the Darjeeling Zoo. Founded in 1958, the Pnhzp was adjudged the best zoo in the country across all categories in September 2022. 

The Pnhzp is successfully engaged in the conservation breeding of 10 endangered species including the Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Tahr, Himalayan Wolf, Salamander, Monal, Blood Pheasants, Satire Tragopan and Grey Peacock Pheasant. 

The Pnhzp is the coordinating zoo for the conservation breeding of endangered red pandas. At present, the zoo has 9 male and 15 female red pandas. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-to-address-party-leaders-functionaries-on-november-23-541208?infinitescroll=1