Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 26: The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) here Tuesday brought in seven new animals to its existing pool of over 2,000 animals after it received five Thamin deer (commonly known as Manipuri dancing deer) and a pair of bison.
Zoo authorities said the animals were brought to the NZP at 1am Tuesday from New Delhi’s National Zoological Park and Chandigarh’s Chhattbir Zoo.
The NZP has got five Thamin deer, also known as brow-antlered deer, from the New Delhi zoo by gifting three barking deer and four water-monitor lizards to that zoo.
Similarly, Chandigarh’s Chhattbir Zoo has received four wild Ibis, barking deer and water-monitor lizards each from the city zoo in lieu of a pair of bison under animal exchange programme.
The zoo has already a pair of Thamin deer and the exchange scheme adds the number to seven and could attract more visitors this summer.
The animals were medically certified by both the zoos recently and transported on road. Senior veterinary officials who conducted the check up shifted them to their respective enclosures where they would be kept under observation for a week.
Sources said Thamin is an endangered species of deer indigenous to Southeast Asia and is found in Manipur.
NZP deputy director Jayant Dash, however, was not available for comment immediately.