Bhubaneswar: The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar welcomed five new guests from Mizoram's Aizawl Zoo.

The new guests included a pair of hoolock gibbons, a pair of pig-tailed macaques and a female Himalayan black bear.

They were brought to Nandankanan Zoo from the Aizawl Zoological Park in Mizoram under an animal exchange programme. In exchange for the new species, the Nandankanan Zoo sent two tigers to Aizawl, informed the NZP authorities.

A six-member team including NZP's ACF Sudipt Kumar Panda and veterinarian Vikram T reached Nandankanan Zoo with these animals last night.

The animals brought from Mizoram will be kept in quarantine for a period of one month as part of their safety measures by the Central Zoo Authority of India.