Home / Environment / Goa Zoo Set for Sloth Bear Arrival After 4 Years
Goa Zoo Set for Sloth Bear Arrival After 4 Years
4 Aug
Summary
- Goa's Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary zoo may receive sloth bears soon.
- An upgraded enclosure has been vacant for four years awaiting animals.
- Animal exchange proposals are pending Central Zoo Authority approval.
Four years after its sloth bear enclosure was upgraded to meet Central Zoo Authority (CZA) standards, Goa's Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary zoo is poised to welcome the species. The modern enclosure, completed in 2022, has remained unoccupied while the state pursued animal exchange programs.
Forest department sources confirmed that proposals involving zoos in Chhattisgarh, Jammu, and Pune have received state government approval. These have been forwarded to the CZA for final technical clearance. A Chhattisgarh zoo has offered a pair of sloth bears in exchange for a pair of gaurs, a deal that could populate the vacant upgraded enclosure.
Other proposals include an exchange with Pune for black barking deer and with Jammu for civet cats. However, officials expressed reservations about the Jammu proposal, citing the commonality of civet cats in Goa and concerns about gaur adapting to Jammu's colder climate. The CZA's technical committee will now scrutinize these proposals before any exchanges can proceed.
