Odisha’s Nandankanan zoo gets 2 new guests under animal exchange programme

Suranjan Mishra Published On : Oct 25, 2023 at 6:54 PM

Bhubaneswar: A pair of Cassowary birds comprising a male and a female was brought today to Nandankanan Zoo located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, as part of an animal exchange programme.

It is a new addition to the animal stock of Nandankanan. The zoo had Cassowaries between 2000 and 2014. Presently, the new guests were brought from Hyderabad after a gap of nearly nine years.

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Cassowaries are native to New Guinea and Australia. The species is most dangerous among birds because of its dangerous attack on humans. Keeping this species in captivity is a difficult task.

These birds shall be in quarantine for 20 to 30 days, and on satisfaction of good health standards, will be released to a specific enclosure meant for the new guests, a Nandankanan spokesperson said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) is a 437-hectare (1,080-acre) zoo and botanical garden in Odisha. Established in 1960, it was opened for public visit in 1979 and became the first ever zoo in India to join the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009.