Release of Red Jungle Fowl and Himalayan Goral at Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.
A planned conservation Breeding Project as a part of the Global Captive Breeding master plan was initiated in the early 90's in the Zoological Park in response to the International Conservation efforts. The main aim of this reintroduction programme is to make efforts at planned conservation breeding of the species and their multiplication for a demographically stable and genetically healthy population
One pair (1:1) of Himalayan Goral and two pairs of Red Jungle Fowl (2:2) from PNHZP were released in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary on 12.01.2022 in presence of Shri. Rajendra Jakher, CCF Wildlife North, Dr. Basavaraj S. Holeyachi, Director PNHZP, Shri. S. S. S. S. Sherpa, DFO Darjeeling, Wildlife Division and PNHZ Park staffs. This is the first time Goral reintroduction into the wild is done in West Bengal.
Release of Red Pandas at the Soft Release Facility Gairibans, Singalila National Park
Two pairs (2:2) of Red Panda namely Smile, Shifu, Noel and Yeshe from PNHZP were restocked in Gairibans Singalila National Park on 15.01.2022 in presence of Shri. Rajendra Jakher ,CCF Wildlife North, Dr. Basavaraj S. Holeyachi, Director PNHZP, Shri. S. S. S. S. Sherpa, DFO Darjeeling, Wildlife Division and PNHZ Park staffs. This is the second time when the park is restocking Red Pandas in the wild, the first was done back in the year 2003-2004.
Final Release of Red Panda at Gairibans, Singalila National Park:
Two pairs of Red Panda which were released in the soft release facility at Gairibans Singalila National Park on 15.01.2022 were finally released from the soft release facility at Gairibans into the wild in presence of the Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority (CZA), Dr. Sanjay Shukla, IFS. Dr. Basavaraj S. Holeyachi, IFS, Director, PNHZ Park and, Shri S. S. S. S. S. Sherpa, IFS, DFO, Darjeeling Wildlife Division on 26.03.2022.
Release of Red Panda in Soft Release Facility in Gairibans, Singalila National Park :
Three females (0:3) Red Panda namely Nira, Tista and Numa from PNHZP were released in the Soft Release Facility at Gairibans, Singalila National Park on 08.12.2022 in presence of Shri. Rajendra Jakhar ,CCF Wildlife North, Dr. Basavaraj S. Holeyachi ,Director PNHZP, Shri. Pankaj Suryawanshi, IFS DFO, Darjeeling Division Forest, Shri. Viswanath Pratap N. IFS DFO, Darjeeling Wildlife Division, Shri. Harikrishnan P. J. IFS DFO, Kurseong Division and officials & staffs of PNHZP. The animals will be kept at this facility for over a period of two months approximately for acclimatization so that the animals acclimatizes to the natural habitat and feed before the final release. The Park has earlier successfully released captive red pandas in Singalila National Park in 2004 and January, 2022.
Release of Red Jungle Fowl & Himalayan Goral at Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary :
Two pairs (2:2) of Himalayan Goral (Naemorhedus goral) and ten pairs of Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus) (10:10) from Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) were released in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary on 30.12.2022 by the Hon'ble Minister in Charge, Forest affairs, Non-Conventional & Renewable Energy, Shri Jyotipriya Mallick and in the presence of Shri. Soumitra Dasgupta, IFS Hon'ble Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, West Bengal; Shri. Debal Ray, IFS Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden, West Bengal; Shri. Saurav Chaudhry, IFS Member Secretary, West Bengal Zoo Authority, Shri. Ujjwal Ghosh, IFS Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, North Bengal; Shri. Rajendra Jakhar ,IFS CCF Wildlife North, Dr. Basavaraj S. Holeyachi ,IFS Director PNHZP, Shri. Viswanath Pratap N. IFS DFO, Darjeeling Wildlife Division, Shri. Harikrishnan P. J. IFS DFO, Kurseong Division , Dr. Joy Dey, ADVO PNHZP, Shri. Shiromani Syangden, Estate Officer PNHZP and other official of PNHZP. It is the second time the park has released Himalayan Goral (Naemorhedus goral) and Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus) into the wild.
