PUNE: A male wolf is the latest inhabitant of the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological park in Katraj. Part of an exchange programme, the wolf was brought to Pune from the Mysore zoo. In return, Katraj zoo handed over a sloth bear.
The wolf is an endangered species under schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. This male wolf will be used for breeding purposes, said zoo authorities.
Raj Kumar Jadhav, zoo director, told TOI that the wolf is under observation at the quarantine enclosure of the zoo. Visitors will be allowed to see it after three weeks.
“We had one female and three male sloth bears,” he said. “The director of Mysore zoo agreed to exchange a male wolf of breeding age for a sloth bear. Mysore zoo will send the sloth bear to a zoo in Germany,” he added.
“Indian wolves can be bred in captivity. Wolves mate for life, which means, once they choose a mate, they stay with that mate for the rest of their life. Normally, only an alpha pair will mate,” he said.
The last animal exchange programme at Katraj zoo was carried out in 2009. Jadhav said a pair of gaur was procured from Mysore zoo in exchange for a pair of four-horned antelope.