(IN)Assam State Zoo captive breeding efforts

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http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=feb1508/at07

State Zoo to take up captive breeding

By A Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 14 – Under the ambitious Captive Breeding Programme of the

Central Zoo Authority, the Assam State Zoo is set to go ahead with the

first-ever scientific captive breeding of five endangered species within its

campus. The aim of the breeding programme is to induce new blood in the

existing captive populations of endangered species with the ultimate

objective of rehabilitating them in the wild.

 

The species selected are golden cat, golden langur, seraw, rhino and grey

peacock pheasant.

 

The task, no doubt, is a challenge but it is also a matter of pride that of

all the zoos in the country, we have been given the maximum number of five

species for captive breeding, " Narayan Mahanta, DFO, Assam State Zoo, told *The

Assam Tribune*.

 

Mahanta said that the project would mark the beginning of a new chapter of

research-oriented activities in the zoo where the thrust so far had been on

exhibition of animals.

 

" This is the first scientific captive breeding to be carried out in the zoo.

It has the potential to be a major animal research centre of the country. We

are hopeful of witnessing a lot of research-based work in the coming days, "

he said.

 

Mahanta said that the captive breeding programme would require careful and

in-depth handling. " For avoiding genetic degradation, we have to ensure that

the breeding animals are from separate lineages. For this history sheets of

the animals are being prepared, and if necessary, we will go for DNA

analysis, " he said, adding that the animals were being selected from

different zoos, rescue centres and even from the wild.

 

For the programme's success, what also needs to be ensured is that human

interference is restricted to the minimum and the ambience kept as natural

as possible. " Separate enclosures with natural settings are being created

for the purpose, " Mahanta said.

 

The target set by the Central Zoo Authority is to have at least 100

physically, genetically and behaviourally healthy and identifiable

individuals (whose number is less than 2,500 in the wild) with animal

history records of each species in captivity.

 

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been entrusted the work of

preparation and updating of the national studbooks/herd books of all the

targeted species, including marking and preparing animal history sheets of

all the participating individuals.

 

A National Referral Centre has been established at the Indian Veterinary

Research Institute, Bareilly, to provide super-speciality services and

diagnostic facilities to the zoos for physical health check-up and health

care of the animals. A Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species

(LaCONES) for biotechnological interventions has also been established at

Hyderabad for doing genetic fingerprinting of the founders and others.

 

" Today, when wildlife habitats are under severe pressure and a large number

of species have become endangered, the zoos have not only to sustain their

own populations but also to augment the depleting population of endangered

species, " Mahanta said.