Chittagong Zoo cages tigers after 4 years

The cage, empty for four years, was now decorated with balloons and flowers, all set to welcome new residents. Visitors thronged the venue eagerly, awaiting the arrival of the new inmates.

Around 9: 45 am, a truck entered the Chittagong zoo premises carrying two large containers flown in from South Africa. Finally on Friday at noon, after waiting for two hours the visitors were able to feast their eyes on the magnificent beasts.

On 30 October 2012, Chittagong zoo had laid to rest its last tigress Purnima. In 2006 Purnima’s male companion Chandra passed away. Chandra and Purnima had been brought to Chittagong from Dhaka in 2003.

A source at the zoo said that two new tigers landed at Hazrat Shahjalal airport on Thursday night, before being brought to Chittagong by truck on Friday.

Soon after the animals arrived, visitors and reporters surrounded the cage, taking photographs and selfies with the tired animals. Two live chickens were placed in the cage for the tigers to feed on.

‘Since commercial tiger breeding and rearing is legal in South Africa, we managed to bring these animals to the zoo,’ said Md Shamsul Arefin, Chittagong deputy commissioner. ‘Other than arranging for new species to be brought in, the zoo is also undergoing a change in infrastructure with future plans of bringing in apes and leopards,’ he added.

‘The tiger is 11 months old, while the tigress is 9 months. Neither have been given names yet,’ said Md Ruhul Amin, zoo management committee member and Sitakanda upazila assistant commissioner. ‘The tigers are terrified of their new surroundings,’ he said. ‘We have been told to keep them under observation for 15 days.’

Zoo curator Md Manzur Morshed Chowdhury said that the tigers will reach adulthood after four years. They will then be used for breeding, he said.

The Royal Bengal Tiger species has a life expectancy of 15 years.