Two Asiatic lionesses to be relocated to Nahargarh Biological Park from Junagadh
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File photo: Lioness Tejika at Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur.
Jaipur: An Asiatic lioness will be brought to Nahargarh Biological Park from Junagadh of Gujarat. The only lioness of the park, Tejika, had died after giving birth to three cubs last year. The tourists visiting Nahargarh will soon enjoy sightings of a lioness again with the relocation. In an exchange program, two lionesses will be brought to the park – the first one within a week and the second one within six months.
A team of forest department officials and doctors including Dr Ashok Tanwar will leave for Gujarat on Friday. The lioness will be brought to Jaipur within a week, sources said.
The lioness will be kept under observation for a few days and then may be released into an open enclosure with lion Sidhdhartha for tourist sighting.
Tejika and Sidhdhartha were brought to Jaipur in 2015. Tejika gave birth to three cubs and died after suffering from a prolonged illness in January last year. The park authorities have been trying to bring a lioness from other zoos and parks for the past several months.
The three cubs littered by Tejika are enthralling wildlife lovers. The authorities have launched a lion safari for tourists to sight the three cubs roaming freely in the park.
The lioness is being brought to Jaipur in an exchange program. Jungadh will get eight animals including a wolf couple, hyena and a desert fox.
“We have been trying to bring a lioness since Tejika’s death. It took us a while, but we finally succeeded. The team will leave for Junagadh on Friday. Two lionesses will be brought. While we will get the first lioness within a week, the second one will be brought within six months,” said Jagdish Gupta, ACF, Nahargarh Biological Park.
