Tyavarekoppa safari to get two Asiatic lions

October 31, 2017 12:04 am | Updated 12:04 am IST - Shivamogga

Arya, the male lion, and Manya, the female lion, seen at Tyavarekoppa tiger and lion safari near Shivamogga.

Arya, the male lion, and Manya, the female lion, seen at Tyavarekoppa tiger and lion safari near Shivamogga.

The Tyavarekoppa Tiger and Lion Safari near Shivamogga will soon receive a pair of lions from Bannerghatta Biological Park.

M.C. Cheluvaraj, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), told The Hindu that the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has given permission to transfer the pair to Tyavarekoppa.

At present, the safari-cum-zoo in Tyavarekoppa has 350 animals, including a pair of cross-bred lions — 13-year-old lion Arya and five-year-old lioness Manya, seven tigers, and 28 leopards. Tyavarekoppa will now get an Asiatic lion and lioness, both under the age of five.

Mr. Cheluvaraj said the availability of ample space, food and medical care makes Tyavarekoppa conducive to captive breeding of endangered animals such as tigers and lions. The authorities will take measures to ensure successful breeding of Asiatic lions here, he said.

The authorities at Tyavarekoppa safari had earlier planned to get a pair of Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden in Gujarat, but the plan didn’t worked. A proposal was submitted six months ago to bring the pair from Bannerghatta Biological Park for which CZA has given its nod now, he said.

Mr. Cheluvaraj said the formalities over the shifting of the lions have been completed. A team of officials from Tyavarekoppa, including veterinary experts, will visit Bannerghatta on October 30 to assess the health condition of the lions. After the completion of health assessment, the shifting will commence. It has been planned to bring the animals in a specially designed cage mounted on a truck. The lions are likely to arrive in a week. They will be displayed for visitors after they get accustomed to the environment here, he said.

Mr. Cheluvaraj said that after the shifting, a proposal will be submitted to the authorities to bring a pair of bison and four nilgais from Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru, to Tyavarekoppa safari.

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