Mysore: To the delight of tourists flocking to the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden in the New Year, they can say hello to chimpanzees, Kimoni and Nikosi brought from the Singapore Zoo recently and put on public display from Tuesday.
The passing away of one of its prime attractions, chimpanzee Wali, had proved a dampner for the zoo, and it is hoping the two new chimps will fill the vacuum.
Kimoni, 6, and Nikosi, 13, arrived from the Singapore Zoological Garden on an animal exchange programme a month ago, on December 1 and were quarantined for 30 days as required before being put on public display.
“The chimpanzees have completed their quarantine period and are housed together. Kimoni is very young and active but shy, while Nikosi is composed. Tourists are being told to remain calm around their enclosure,” said Mysore zoo executive director, B. P. Ravi, explaining that another female chimpanzee was supposed to accompany the two from Singapore, but could not make it as it had given birth. It could arrive in a year, however, he reveals.
But tourists were not complaining as the two new chimps joined two other female chimps, Mason , 23 and Mirella 24, who had arrived from Sweden in 1994, and two male chimpanzees in entertaining them at the zoo.
Adding to its attractions is a female calf that 11 year old giraffe Khushi gave birth to on December 15 at the zoo.
“The 17 day old giraffe calf is doing well as its mother Khushi is nursing her,” said Ravi. n Mysore zoo adds giraffe calf, too
