One-horned rhinos in Vandalur zoo soon - Deccan Chronicle

Chennai: Visitors to the country's largest zoo, Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP) in Vandalur, could soon catch a glimpse of great one-horned rhinoceros, nearly after two and a half decades. For, Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Wednesday wrote to her Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi seeking to spare a pair of greater one horned rhinos from the state.  "The great one horned rhinoceros was in our collection from 1985 but died in 1989 and after that there has been no representation  of this magnificent animal in our zoo," she said in her letter which she was writing both in her capacity as CM of Tamil Nadu and also as the chairperson of the Zoo Authority of Tamil Nadu (ZAT).  Jayalalithaa requested him to spare one pair of one horned rhinoceros in exchange for one pair of Indian gaur. Indian gaur is one of the flagship species of AAZP in its collection of 1,400 individual animals comprising 143 species.   Sources told DC that the CM had decided to take up the issue when it was brought to her notice at the recently held ZAT meet at secretariat. "We have made several attempts over the years to get the animal but in vain. Now that the CM has taken up the issue we hope the issue will be solved soon," said an official. However, as regards exchange of endangered species among the zoos within the country, the states concerned will have to get the consent from the Central Zoo Authority. "Considering the number of visitors (2 million annually) to the zoo and the popularity of the Indian rhinoceros it will be very fitting if it could once again have these animals in its collection," the CM noted   Pointing out that the zoo was categorized as a "large zoo" and is one among the largest in South East Asia, she said, "Based on species diversity, number of endangered species, it is known for following modern captive animal management principles in its day to day administration." via Science - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEz-9cydI0m_kUsF0JokXHnbLDDhA&url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130620/news-current-affairs/article/one-horned-rhinos-vandalur-zoo-soon

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