Mysuru zoo on Friday said the construction of orangutan enclosure on its premises is almost complete and is ready to house the animals for public viewing.
Bank Note Paper Mill India, Mysuru (BNPM) has contributed a sum of ₹70 lakh under its CSR initiative for constructing the enclosure for orangutans that arrived here in August from Singapore and Malaysia.
“This generous contribution of BNPM goes a long way in the conservation of the endangered great apes, and facilitate their display,” said Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni.
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The zoo got two pairs of orangutans from Singapore and Malaysia as it managed to strike a major international animal exchange deal. The 17-year-old male, Merlin, and 13-year-old female, Atina, arrived from Singapore zoo while five-year-old male, Afa, and the 7-year-old female, Minnie, were brought from Malaysia zoo. In return, the Mysuru zoo has given two pairs of giraffes.
According to the zoo records, the last time the zoo displayed orangutans was in the 70s and the zoo authorities’ best efforts thereafter to get an orangutan pair did not materialise.