In exchange plan, Delhi Zoo to get stump tailed macaque

The Delhi Zoo is planning to conduct a number of animal exchanges with at least two other facilities in the country in the coming weeks, which will take the zoo’s total species count to 97.

Officials on Friday said the move will see the introduction of a new species to the zoo — the stump-tailed macaque from the Aizawl zoo. In exchange, the Delhi zoo will send six silver pheasants to Aizawl. Currently, the Delhi Zoo houses 96 different animal species.

The zoo said it plans to exchange the hog deer with Chandigarh’s Chhatbir zoo. It will also carry out exchange of other deer species, zoos for which are yet to be finalised. Officials said that the move is aimed at reducing inbreeding, a key factor in the high mortality rate of deer. Lone animals will also be given partners, officials added.

The August-September period is considered ideal for such exchanges owing to the suitable weather conditions.

Akanksha Mahajan, director of Delhi zoo, said a meeting was held on Tuesday, during which the exchanges were discussed and planned.

“We will be bringing in eight stump-tailed macaques from the Aizawl zoo and six silver pheasants will go there. This species of macaque used to be a part of our zoo several years ago. There is an enclosure for it as well, which is currently lying vacant,” Mahajan said.

While this is the only new species planned to be brought in at present, Mahajan said the zoo was looking to carry out further exchanges for two other reasons – to reduce inbreeding and find partners for those animals without one.

“We identified that a lot of deer need to be sent to other zoos, while some are being brought in to improve the gene pool. This will reduce inbreeding and lead to healthier offspring. Inbreeding over time can lead to high mortalities,” Mahajan said.

A zoo official said they are already in contact with Chhatbir zoo to exchange hog deer. The official said plans are also in place for exchange of other deer species such as chital, black buck, barking deer and the chausingha (four-horned antelope).

However, zoos for their exchanges are yet to be finalised, the official said.

“We also have some animals that currently do not have partners and cannot breed. Partners are being found for such animals. They include the chausingha, as we have only one left now. The black and grey partridges, Egyptian vulture and pygmy slow loris also currently do not have partners,” said the official, who asked not to be named.

Among mammals, the African elephant was another species required a partner, the official said.

“Talks have been ongoing with zoos abroad for several months now to find a partner for the elephant. We also have two male jaguars and a female jaguar is needed,” the official said, adding that this period between August and September was ideal to facilitate exchanges, as the temperature is not too extreme.

Gauri Maulekhi, an animal activist and trustee at the People for Animals (PFA), said while inbreeding does lead to high mortality eventually, exchanges with other zoos was not the solution.

“If we want to prevent inbreeding, we should keep separate enclosures for male and female population. This will make it easier to manage them too. Deer are stress-prone animals and we have seen a lot of them die in transit, even when their translocation is within Delhi. Focus should not be on bringing in deer from other zoos, as this opens up the zoo to the risk of introduction of new pathogens,” she said.

The Delhi zoo, inaugurated in 1959, has gradually been increasing its species count by bringing in new animals via exchange programmes with other zoos. In 2020, the zoo had 83 different species of animals, and the count increased to 90 in 2021, before rising to 96 this year when six more species were added in the last one-and-a-half years.