Wanted: A match for a female tiger

Wanted: A match for a female tiger

12 Feb 2009, 1813 hrs IST, IANS

RANCHI: Authorities at the Tata Steel Zoological Park in Jamshedpur are desperately looking for a match for nine-year-old Shanti, a tigress.

The zoo authorities are concerned as Ben and Shyamali, the parents of Shanti have grown old and are unable to breed any more. Mating Shanti is the only option left to increase the population of tigers in the zoo.

“We have written to the Central Zoo Authority and other zoos of the country to get a male tiger. We are ready to exchange black bucks for a male tiger,” said Manik Palit, a zoo veterinarian.

According to zoo authorities, they tried to ensure the mating of Ben and Shyamali last year on Valentine’s Day but the attempt failed as the tigress ferociously attacked her mate, injuring him.

Shyamali had given birth to two female cubs in 1999. One was shifted to Birsa Munda Zoological Park in Ranchi and Shanti stayed with her parents.

The zoo authorities are also concerned about breeding of lions. The zoo has two lions and lionesses each but the lionesses are much older than the lions. The zoo authorities, therefore, are trying to get younger lionesses.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Wild__Wacky/Wanted_A_match_for_a_female_tiger/articleshow/4119287.cms

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