KATHMANDU, MAY 30 - Nepal and India have agreed to exchange zoo animal specimens between the two countries. The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) under the Ministry for Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) and Central Zoo Authority (CZA), India have reached an agreement to this effect. The three-year memorandum of understanding was signed jointly by Juddha Gurun, member secretary at NTNC and Bishan Singh Bonal, member secretary of CZA at a programme in New Delhi on Monday. This is the first time Nepal’s Central Zoo administered by NTNC has joined hands with the Indian zoo authority to exchange surplus animals in the next three years.

Sarita Gyawali, director at Jawalakhel-based Central Zoo in Kathmandu and also a member of the Nepali team that visited India said on Wednesday that the agreement of this kind was a must with India to promote species diversity and strengthen cooperation between the two organisations working in the zoo management sector. Though CZA, the central government body to administer all zoos in India, has the authority to take a decision to exchange animalswith Nepal, NTNC’s decision needs to be approved by the ministry concerned and even the central government if needed.According to Gyawali, the government may not block any decision to bring in surplus zoo animal specimens from India. She said discussions were held with CZA officials about the possible exchange of female hippos that are in excess number in India with the Central Zoo in Nepal. The Jawalakhel zoo can provide leopard and cat species to India on request, Gyawali said. Besides exchanging zoo animals , the agreement also calls for better zoo enclosures and management of animals , capacity enhancement and training to zoo staffers and collaboration in researches related to genetic species, captive breeding and promotion of conservation education, among others. During the reign of kings in the past, the Central Zoo had received some exotic animals such as siamans (arboreal gibbons), hippopotamuses and ostriches from Singapore, Thailand and Australia respectively. Nepal gifted blackbucks and different bird species to other countries as well. However, with the establishment of republic in the country, no animal exchange programme has been carried out by the CentralZoo . The last animal exchange was carried out in 2001 when the zoo got a hippo from Thailand. Nepal started giving rhinos as a gift to Germany and India, among other countries, during the monarchial period. “We are also looking for a similar agreement with Singapore Zoo in the future,” Gyawali said. Posted on: 2013-05-30 08:39 http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/05/30/capital/nepal-india-to-exchange-zoo-animal-specimens-for-3-yrs/372454.html