The Hyderabad Zoo is preparing to receive its first pair of kangaroos along with wallabies, ring-tailed lemurs and cassowaries from Vantara, a wildlife rescue and conservation centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, after the organisation agreed in principle to share animals with the Nehru Zoological Park.
Zoo officials said facilities have already been arranged for the kangaroos, including an enclosure and a night house for one male and one female. A team from Vantara has visited the zoo to inspect the proposed facilities and other infrastructure.
“Vantara has agreed to share its animal collection, including kangaroos, with us. Currently, they are occupied with other rescue and rehabilitation works. We will shortly welcome new inmates,” zoo officials said.
The proposed additions include a pair of wallabies, which are smaller relatives of kangaroos and stand at around three feet, compared with kangaroos that can grow to about eight feet. The zoo is also expected to receive a pair of ring-tailed lemurs, primates native to Madagascar that are recognised by their black-and-white ringed tails. Cassowaries, which are flightless birds, are also part of the proposed animal exchange.
A pair of zebras from Vantara is also in the pipeline. The Hyderabad Zoo currently has three zebras, comprising two males and one female, which were also brought from Vantara.
The planned kangaroo arrival revives an earlier proposal that did not materialise. In 2020, the zoo had planned to bring four kangaroos from Yokohama Zoological Gardens in Japan. Although an agreement was signed between the two institutions, the plan was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The proposed animal additions come as the zoo manages a collection of 2,178 animals, including 498 mammals, 320 reptiles and eight amphibians. The incoming animals will therefore require the zoo to expand its care arrangements across different species, including temperature management and specialised enclosures.
The administration has installed or arranged water sprinklers, foggers and air conditioners to protect animals from rising daytime temperatures. Zoo officials linked the heat-management measures to the El Niño impact. The arrangements are intended to provide relief to the existing collection as well as support the care of animals that may arrive from Vantara.
The source report did not specify the date of transfer or confirm that the animals had already been dispatched. The next step is expected to follow the completion of Vantara’s ongoing rescue and rehabilitation work and the finalisation of arrangements between the two institutions.
