Tata Steel Zoological Park adds 2 pairs of Zebras

Jamshedpur, Dec. 2: Tata Steel Zoological Park added two pairs of zebras to its enviable collection on Wednesday. However, visitors to the zoo can only see them early next month, as they are currently under quarantine.

The proposal to add two pairs of zebras to the collection of Tata Steel Zoological Park was initiated last year and a request was made to the Zoological Centre, Ramat Gan Safari, Tel Aviv, the Zoo having largest collection of Grants Zebra in its collection in West Asia.

Yehuda Bar, director of Zoological Centre, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, accepted the proposal in principle and met Bipul Chakrabarty, Director, Tata Steel Zoological Park, during the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums meeting in New Delhi in October-November, 2014.

After the Tata Steel zoo received the formal approval, the managing committee submitted the necessary papers to the Central Zoo Authority. The Central Zoo Authority was quick to provide their approval in November 2014.

Thereafter, approvals of the wildlife division of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Department of Animal Husbandry, dairying and fisheries division under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was obtained.

In the meantime, approvals were also obtained from the Chief Wildlife Warden, Jharkhand. Once all the concerned approvals were in hand, the Zoological Centre, Tel Aviv, was asked to make preparations for transportation of the zebras to India and they Zebras arrived at Mumbai from Tel Aviv on November 30 last.

The zebras eventually arrived at Tatanagar railway station on Wednesday and were taken to the Tata Steel Zoological Park.

Soon after reaching the zoo, the animals were released into their quarantine enclosure, where they will remain for 30 days. The animals will be under close observation through CCTV and zoo veterinary doctor and animal keepers will keep a close watch on them.

The quarantine of the zebras shall be carried out under the supervision of Dr. Dipankar Biswas, Regional Quarantine Officer, Eastern Region, Kolkata. The visitors to the zoo shall only be able to see the zebras in the first week of January 2016.