Satellite zoo for Kurseong

Satellite zoo for Kurseong

4 December 2011

DARJEELING, 4 DEC: The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park plans to inaugurate a satellite zoo and India's second pheasant breeding centre in Kurseong's Dowhill area on 7 December.
The breeding centre “will work on increasing the number of endangered pheasants like the Satyr tragopan and the Temminck's tragopan”, zoo director Mr AK Jha said. India's only other pheasant breeding centre is in Himachal Pradesh, he said. The World Pheasant Association in July sent six pheasants from the UK's Paradise Wildlife Park for the centre. “A meeting is being scheduled on 14 Decemebr when they will ask for more from the UK-based World Pheasant Association”, Mr Jha said. The association has donated two Satyr tragopan and four Temminck's tragopan. The former species can be found in Darjeeling and Sikkim, while the latter can be found in Meghalaya and Nagaland. Both are endangered. sns