Sakkar Baug Zoo Junagadh City News

Vadodara zoo hunts for tiger.

Six months after the only male tiger at the Vadodara zoo died, the zoo authorities have started a hunt for a new male big cat so as to continue with the captive breeding.

At present, Sayaji Baug Zoo officials are shortlisting the zoos that have excess number of male tigers. Once the list is finalized, the zoo authorities would initiate the procedure to seal the deal by exchanging animals.

Curator C B Patel told Newsline, “After Gabbar (the tiger) died, there was no question of captive breeding as the rest were all female. Now, we are planning to bring a male tiger.”

The last tiger was brought from a Rajkot zoo. “Two cubs were born after mating between Gabbar and a tigress,” said another zoo official.

Sources, meanwhile, said that this time, a Junagadh zoo might be approached for the exchange. “The Sakkar Baug Zoo has a male tiger in excess and it can be transferred to the Vadodara zoo. However, it all depends on what plans Vadodara zoo officials have and how they would like to execute it,” said an official at the Rajkot zoo.

In normal circumstances, the official said, whenever any zoo demands animal from other zoo, it is supposed to give one, too. “It is true that we have to make arrangement for an animal that we can give to the zoo from where we would demand the male tiger. However, that will not be a problem for us, as we would make the arrangement from the animals available with us,” said a senior VMC official.