Tourists throng Van Vihar to see lions
   Date :11-Feb-2020

Tourists throng Van Vihar
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
 
After Van Vihar National Park shifted the pair of lions in display cage, large number of tourist are visiting the park to see lions. It seems that Bhopalites are much enthusiastic to see lions in city zoo. On Sunday, large number of tourists especially visited Van Vihar to see the lions. They kept on waiting for an hour to get a glimpse on animal. However, both lions are currently shying away from the crowd. Male Satya is spending maximum time with sister lioness Nandi. The park officials said that most of time he sits before the net of sister Nandi and prefer to stay away from the crowd. Lioness is quite shy and she did not prefer to appear before the tourist for past two days. She is trying to adjust in her new house.
 
After completing the norms of 21 days and medical test, pair of lions Satya and Nandi have been shifted to display cage from quarantine at Van Vihar National Park on Saturday. The park management has conducted medical test of lion and lioness on February 6 and 7. Both lions were found fit in the medical test after which officials shifting process was given final nod. Earlier, both lions were in a quarantine enclosure where they were adjusted well. The pair of lion has been brought to the park to re-start the breeding project. A few more lions will be brought to the park after a few days as these two lions are siblings and they cannot mate with each other. A K Jain, Deputy Director of Van Vihar, said that it is guidelines of NTCA to keep animal in quarantine at least for 21 days after translocation. He said that doctors of the park have conducted medical test of lions in which they have been found to be fit for the shifting to cage.
 
It would take two-three days to adjust the new cage from quarantine. He said officials are trying to bring another pair of lion from Indore and Junagarh to start the breeding programme. The pair of lions was brought to the park on January 16 from Kanan Pendari Zoo, Bilaspur. Officials including Van Vihar Director Kamalika Mohanty and wildlife veterinary doctor Atul Gupta have visited Nandan Kanan Zoo at Bilaspur to see the pair of lion. The two lion Satya (male) and Nandi (female) are four years old. Officials of Van Vihar informed that both lions belong to the same mother lioness Varsha. Currently, Van Vihar has three lions and all of them have completed their average life tenure. There are two male Montu and Lamba and one female Varu. On April 15, 2017, Van Vihar brought four lions from Assam in which female lion Vrinda died.