A lion-tailed macaque (LTM), an endangered species, has given birth to a young macaque at the Chamundi Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for the Wild Animals, at Koorgalli on the outskirts of Mysuru. The rescue centre is run by the century-old Mysuru Zoo.
The birth of a young macaque is perhaps a first since the conservation breeding programme of lion-tailed macaque was launched, with the Mysuru zoo being the participating zoo and the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai being the coordinating zoo. Habitat loss has placed the primate in the IUCN red list of endangered species.
LTMs are found in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Importantly, the birth has raised hopes of introducing the species in the wild as the objective of the project is to breed such species in captivity and release them in the wild, after complying with applicable protocols.
Zoo Executive Director Mahesh Kumar confirmed the birth and said the baby macaque is fine. “This is the first birth of a young macaque since the project was launched. The birth is considered important since the species, found in the Western Ghats, is highly endangered, and its numbers are falling in the wild,” he said.
The Indian Gaur, Grey Wolf, Wild Dog, Grey Jungle Fowl, and Giant Squirrel are the other species for which the Mysuru zoo is carrying out conservation breeding. The zoo had been working on the project for many years. The zoo has the reputation of captive breeding several species of animals, including giraffes. The first birth of a young macaque has proved its expertise in conservation breeding.
According to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), which launched the conservation breeding project, the zoos, besides sustaining their own population, also have to increase the depleting population of endangered species in the wild through conservation breeding.
On CZA’s initiative, the conservation breeding of 73 critically endangered species has been taken up at various Indian zoos, including the Mysuru zoo. The species under the project had been identified considering their decreasing numbers in the wild. The CZA has assigned the roles to zoos with some designated as ‘coordinating zoos’ and ‘participating zoos’. The zoos were identified considering their expertise in animal management and expertise in captive breeding.
The conservation breeding of the gaur, or Indian bison, is also under way in the city with the Mysuru zoo being the coordinating zoo. The zoo’s rescue and rehabilitation centre at Koorgalli is the centre for the conservation breeding of the species assigned to the zoo. Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai and Bondla Zoo in Goa are supporting the Mysuru zoo in the ambitious programme.
Published - September 12, 2024 05:14 pm IST
