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Journalism of Courage
Forests and Wildlife Preservation Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Wednesday released two tiger cubs — Abhay and Aryan — from the intensive care into the ‘Kraal’ (a semi-open enclosure) at the Chhatbir Zoo in Mohali.
The two cubs, a white and a yellow were born after the mating of white tigress Gauri and yellow tiger Arjun on October 31, 2024, which coincided with Diwali festivities. While Arjun was born in the Chhatbir Zoo in 2019, Gauri was brought in from Rajkot Zoo in Gujarat under an animal exchange programme.
The golden cub Abhay is a Royal Bengal Tiger like his father, Arjun is a white tiger like his mother.
The official spokesperson of the zoo said that the two tiger cubs are healthy and would be released in the enclosure for viewing by common people after another dose of vaccine. The spokesperson added that a senior veterinary officer, para vets and animal management staff are monitoring the health of the cubs.
With the two cute addition, the tiger count at the zoo now stands at seven.
As Abhay and Aryan are just three and a half months old, they will as of now be on their mother’s feed, the spokesperson said, adding that the breeding was successful after a five-year gap.
In the first week of January, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur had made an unscheduled visit to Chhatbir Zoo. During their visit, they not only toured the enclosures and interacted with the zoo staff, but also named the then two-month-old tiger cubs, Abhay and Aryan.
Meanwhile, Kataruchak on Wednesday also inaugurated other projects, including a new building of the veterinary hospital, the office of the senior veterinary officer, room of the veterinary staff, laboratory – 1 and laboratory – 2, dispensary, research room, pantry and two washrooms.
Apart from this, the service circulation path for use by the staff, feed fodder vehicle were also inaugurated. This would lead to the uninterrupted supply of feed as well as the fodder to the enclosures housing animals.
Besides, the 800-metre-long and 4-metre-wide visitor path has also been constructed outside the animal enclosures for the facilitation of public. Not only this but two night shelters for the night duty watchmen and a logo of the Punjab Zoos Development Society (PZDS) were also unveiled.
He also inspected the ongoing works pertaining to the parking stand for wildlife safari buses, visitor shelter near lion safari canteen, crocodile enclosure, parking stand for battery operated vehicle and feeding platform for angulets in deer safari.
The Chhatbir Zoo undertakes multitude of activities from time to time which are aimed at ensuring empathy towards the wild animals apart from awareness generation. Such initiatives include blood donation camps, Run for Wild race and Zoo education program. Through these programs, children, youth and other sections of the society are sensitised in the direction of developing an attitude of love and care towards the wild animals.
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