AGARTALA, June 19 (TIWN): On yet another exchange agreement programme the Tripura Sepahijala zoo is all set to exchange animals with the Bangalore national zoo very soon, said Forest Minister Naresh Jamatia at the civil secretariat here on Friday. According to the agreement, the Sepahijala zoo would provide a pair of spectacled monkeys, two Asiatic bears and three pig-tailed monkeys to Bannerghatta Zoo. Similarly in exchange of a pair of lion, three black bucks, a pair of fog deer and two porcupines from the National Park in Bengaluru.

Talking to the media persons here at the civil secretariat state minister for Forest Naresh Jamatia said. “A central team was expected to come here in Tripura soon to take a stock of the situation of the Sepahijala Zoo prior to the exchange programme.”

According to the officials, both zoos have got the necessary approvals for the animal exchange programme from the Central Zoo Authority.

However, it is worthy to mention here that this year a total of four common leopards had died after being attacked with Felina babesiosis, a tick-borne malaria-like illness in Sepahijala wildlife Sanctuary Park. Despite the concerned authorities have taken all kinds of measures to control further spread of the disease at the zoo, the death of the animals at the zoo has of course restricted earlier the national zoos to conduct the animal exchange programme.

Despite all odds the Sepahijala zoo is now all set to exchange its animals with the national zoo of Bengaluru now. The team from the centre is expected to arrive here at the state this month. Both of the zoos have got the necessary approvals for the animal exchange programme from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, said the official here on Friday.

Visakhapatnam’s Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) and Tripura’s Sepahijala Zoo had exchanged its rarer animals earlier during the year 2013.