Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami visited the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur on Saturday and named three lion cubs and four tiger cubs. Chief Minister also unveiled a new visitors area near the enclosure for one-horned rhinoceros.
According to an official release by the Zoological Park, Three cubs born to lion 'Siva' and lioness' Neela' were named as 'Pradeep', 'Dhakshina' and 'Niranjana' by Edapadi.K. Palaniswami,Similarly, four white tiger cubs born to tiger 'Vijay' and tigress 'Uthra' and Tiger 'Nagula and tigress Narmadha were named as 'Mithran', 'Yuga', 'Venmathi' and 'Rithwik', the release said. Tigress Uthra gave birth to one male tiger cub on August 08 and Tigress Narmadh gave birth to one male tiger cub and two female tiger cubs on January 09.
After thirty years, the Zoo got one-horned rhinosaurus from Hyderabad Zoo early this month and a new visitor area for the Rhino was unveiled by the CM. Sources said The Vandalur zoo has not had a rhinoceros since 1989. The last male great one-horned rhinoceros the zoo had come to the zoo in 1985 from Assam. but died in 1989 due to an illness.
Referring to the earlier announcement made by Palaniswami that an Indian rhinoceros would be brought from Bihar and Telangana through a scheme involving the exchange of animals, the release said an upgraded enclosure was formally inaugurated also by him. He also said that steps have been taken to receive two females from Bihar and a male rhinoceros from Telangana.
Forest Minister 'Dindigul' C Srinivasan, Minister for Rural Industries, P Benjamin, and senior government officials were present on the occasion, the release said.
