The animals at the Bangladesh National Zoo (Dhaka Zoo) in Dhaka have had a happy year thanks to the pandemic, spared the customary pandemonium, vuvuzelas, and poking from interested visitors.
A surge of activity of a different kind, however, has occurred. In the last four months, at least 400 offspring of various species have been born in the zoo.
The shutdown of the Dhaka zoo in Mirpur since April 2 has resulted in a calmer environment, according to zoo officials.
“All of the animals are healthy. They’re vibrant and enthusiastic, and they’re free to move around inside their cages without fear of being seen “Dr. Md Abdul Latif, director of the national zoo, claimed as much.
During this time, the zoo gave birth to two tiger cubs, 250 herons, 130 peacocks, two impalas, two African horses, two zebras, one hippopotamus, four monkeys, and 22 emus, according to Latif.
Impala, a medium-sized antelope native to eastern and southern Africa, has given birth for the first time in the zoo during the lockdown. The zoo now has seven impalas, thanks to the new addition, according to the director.
On May 26, the two tiger kittens were born. Abantika and Durjoy are their names. On August 16, the fisheries and livestock ministry named them during a program.
According to the director, the zoo now boasts 11 tigers, with the last cub born in 2016.
In addition, the director stated that the zoo now has 14 hippopotamuses.
They also have 370 deer due to the baby surge. However, they have a capacity of 170 people. “We’re selling the extra deer and peacocks to mini zoos and persons with forest department certificates,” he said.
These creatures are used to breeding in the forest because of the favorable conditions. The director noted that the lack of human presence produced an excellent breeding environment.
“We also make sure they [animals] get a well-balanced diet,” he added.
Meanwhile, animal rights activists have urged the authorities to limit the number of visitors allowed because numerous animals are still pregnant or in the process of giving birth. They may have issues in a crowded atmosphere.
The director stated that they had not received any direction from the government concerned regarding the zoo’s reopening. They are, however, ready to reopen.
The zoo, which covers an area of 186.63 acres, now houses 3,150 animals from 135 different species.
Source: The Daily Star
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