BY GT REPORTER
PANJIM: Come August and Goans will no longer need to travel outside for a glimpse of the majestic striped cat!
The Goa Forest Department has brought in two tigers to Bondla, thus adding a new chapter to the history of the 44-year-old zoo.
Rana, a nine-year-old male, and Sandhya, a six-year-old female, were procured under an exchange programme with the Vishakhapatnam Zoo. A pair of Bison was bartered for the tiger pair.
Forest Minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues along with Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Dr Shashi Kumar, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife and eco-touism) Devendra Dalai and other forest officers welcomed Rana and Sandhya at Bondla Zoo soon after their arrival on Sunday, July 19.
The tigers have been placed in quarantine where they will be for three weeks as per conditions stipulated by the Central Zoo Authority before being releasing them into the enclosures for public display, expectedly in the later part of August.
Meanwhile, Bondla zoo staff is overwhelmed with excitement over the new arrivals. It will definitely give the zoo a boost and attract a larger quantum of visitors, particularly Goa’s student community, they hope.
Tigers are considered at the top of the food chain in the forest eco-system and as such their presence in the zoo has now made the collection appear complete.
The idea of having a pair of tigers in Bondla Zoo was conceived by Felipe Neri
Rodrigues long back to add to the diversity of the zoo and entice visitors. All recognised zoos were accordingly contacted and on receipt of a favourable response from Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Vishakhapatnam, necessary approval was obtained from the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.
Bondla Zoo was established and recognised as a ‘mini-zoo’ in 1969. In later years, it was subsequently upgraded to the status of a ‘small zoo’ in 2006. Because of successful captive breeding of Gaur/Indian Bison, Bondla Zoo has been recognised as the participatory zoo for Bison breeding in India.
