A white tiger from Chennai’s Arignar Anna Zoological park is headed for its new home in Udaipur under an exchange programme. However, there is a small hitch in that, the tiger understands only Tamil.
The five-year-old male tiger called Rama will be relocated to Sajjangarh Biological Park in Udaipur. In return, the Anna zoo will get a pair of wolves from Jaipur and Jodhpur zoos, according to a report by Sohail Khan in The Hindustan Times.
The Central Zoo Authority has given its approval for the transfer.
However, the language problem is one, which was not anticipated.
“Either the tiger learns Mewari language or the caretakers here learn Tamil,” said officials in Udaipur. T Mohanraj, in-charge of Sajjangarh Biological Park, said the director of the Chennai zoo has been intimated to send a Tamil caretaker along with the tiger.
And that's exactly what Chennai's zoological park has done. Shanmugan, Assistant Director, Arignar Anna Zoological park told TNM, “Rama, the white tiger was sent to Udaipur on Monday evening. As the Tiger only knows Tamil, an animal keeper Chellan has accompanied him. A veterinary doctor too is travelling with the tiger and caretaker.”
White tigers in Chennai
He also said that these animals were exchanged as the population of white tigers in the Vandaloor zoo was more than what was in Udaipur. In the same way, the wolf population was low in Chennai and more in Udaipur.
Chief conservator of forests, Udaipur, Rahul Bhatnagar said, “We already have a female tigress, known as Damini, which we had brought from Pune zoo last year under exchange. The presence of male tiger will help in improving the tiger population.”
“There are huge numbers of animal lovers in Udaipur, and the presence of white tiger will be another attraction for them. The park witnessed a footfall of 80,000 this year and generated revenue of Rs 25 lakh,” Bhatnagar added.