Three tigers arrive at Gazipur Safari Park from Chattogram in exchange for six zebras, taking total to 10

The number of tigers at Gazipur Safari Park has risen to 10. Under an animal exchange agreement, three tigers — two females and one male — were brought to the park from Chattogram Zoo on Friday morning. The park previously had only seven tigers.

The park's acting officer and Assistant Conservator of Forests Md Tarek Rahman said the three tigers arrived from Chattogram Zoo early on Friday under special arrangements. They have been kept in a separate enclosure and are eating normally.

E M K M Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, Dhaka Divisional Forest Officer (current charge) of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, said two of the tigers brought in are female and one is male. For now they are being kept in a separate enclosure, or home quarantine. Within a few days they will be moved to the park's designated enclosure, where they will be open to all visitors.

The park's wildlife inspector Md Raju Ahmed said all three tigers are completely healthy. As they are young, there is a strong possibility of breeding and increasing their numbers, he said.

In exchange, the Safari Park will give six zebras to Chattogram Zoo. Park officials said three zebras were handed over to the Chattogram Zoo authorities last Wednesday. The remaining three zebras will be handed over in phases.

Animals have been brought to the Safari Park through the exchange programme before. According to officials, in 2018 two hippopotamuses were brought from Dhaka Zoo in exchange for six lions given to that zoo.

The Gazipur Safari Park, covering 3,690 acres, currently has around 3,000 animals of 60 species, according to the park authorities.

Large numbers of visitors come to the park every day to see wildlife roaming freely in open spaces. On weekly or festival holidays, an average of 8,000 to 10,000 visitors a day also come, the Safari Park authorities said.