Kanpur: Seven-year-old lioness Sudha from Rohtak zoo in Haryana was brought to Etawah Safari park, where she was placed in Lion House-1 for a 21-day quarantine, officials said.The safari park team arrived in Etawah with the lioness on Monday. The team had departed from Etawah on Sunday and returned with the lioness on Monday morning.During the quarantine period, the lioness’s health, diet and behaviour will be continuously monitored through CCTV cameras, and a team of wildlife veterinarians will conduct regular surveillance. In the initial examination, the lioness was found to be completely healthy and has also started eating.The safari administration said it hoped that after the quarantine period, Sudha could be bred with the safari park’s male lions Simba and Sultan to increase the number of lions in the park. Officials said Sudha previously gave birth to cubs on two occasions, and it was hoped she would be able to breed successfully with Simba and Sultan.Safari Park deputy director Dr Vinay Kumar Singh said that a female lioness of a new bloodline had been sought for a long time for Simba and Sultan. Several states including Gujarat were contacted, but attempts to procure a lioness failed. However, negotiations with Rohtak zoo proved successful.The Rohtak zoo administration had in return demanded that a male lion be sent from Etawah Safari park. Following this, the safari administration sent lion Ajju to Rohtak zoo, after which the process of bringing lioness Sudha to Etawah was completed.Currently, Etawah Safari park has 7 male lions and 13 lionesses. Simba and Sultan are said to be the cubs of the safari’s first lion-lioness pair, Manan and Jessica.Initially, there was a plan to send lion Vishwa to Rohtak zoo, but he could not be sent due to health reasons. Later, Ajju was sent in his place. According to officials, Ajju is said to be the nephew of Simba and Sultan.The special team formed to bring the lioness from Rohtak zoo included regional forest officer Rupesh Srivastava, wildlife veterinarian Dr Robin Singh, keeper Asif and Ajay Kumar Singh.
