Thiruvananthapuram: Trivandrum zoo plans to bring six zebras and four giraffes from foreign zoological parks. It has invited an Expression of Interest from animal importers/firms to import animals from abroad. Three pairs of zebras and two pairs of giraffes will be brought from a foreign zoo. Authorities said that South Africa is one country they are considering to procure the animals.

The firm has to take all responsibility regarding transportation, handling, crating, veterinary care etc, from the initial point of transportation to handing over to Zoological Garden, Thiruvananthapuram. They shall duly screen all the animals involved in transportation against zoonotic infections and contagious disease and ecto and endo parasites as recommended in the norms of the Central Animal Husbandry Department and Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS) of India prevailing at the time of import, according to the EoI document.

Seetha, the zebra in the zoo died in 2017. She had been housed for 14 years and died of chronic laminitis; painful inflammation of hooves and other ailments. Raju the giraffe, brought from Mysore zoo, died in 2013. His mate died in 2009.
The zoo authorities have been mulling the import of giraffes and zebras from foreign countries for the past few years. However, the process had not materialised due to administrative and technical issues.