J-K: Pair of Asiatic lions from Gujarat to reach Jambu Zoo

A pair of Asiatic Lions is slated to reach Jambu zoo here on Wednesday, officials of the Jammu and Kashmir department of wildlife protection said.

The lions - a male and female adult individuals aged 3.7 and 2.7 years - are being brought from Gujarat to the Union Territory on the direction of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, the officials said.

The asiatic lion pair is an endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). At present, Asiatic lion wild population is confined only to the state of Gujarat which has donated one pair of lions to Jambu Zoo.

The officials said the lions would be housed in a dedicated lion enclosure having a space of more than 5,500 square meter according to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) norms with heating and ventilation facility for extreme weather conditions.

They would remain under quarantine for a week and thereafter will be released in the enclosure for public exhibition, they said.

The department has expressed gratitude to Lt Governor and Government of Gujarat for the guidance and encouragement in sourcing lions which will bring joy to wildlife enthusiasts.

Touted to be one of the largest in north India, the Jambu Zoo, which was opened in May, has 13 enclosures for animals shifted from Manda zoo (Jammu) and five enclosures to house animals to be brought from other zoos of the country including the Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic lions.

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