KARACHI, Oct 22: Three new species of mammals and eight new species of birds have been added to the existing inmates of Karachi Zoological Gardens (KZG). According to sources, most of the new entrants have been donated by various wildlife lovers.

Before their arrival, there were 33 mammal species and 43 bird species at the zoo with the total number of the inmates being 670 - 200 mammals and 470 birds- which has now risen to 210 and 491, respectively.

The new mammal species are Urial (one male and three female); Barbary sheep (one male and one female), and one Sindh Ibex. The KZG has obtained the urials through exchange of animals with a private zoo located near Gadap. It gave two Sika deer and a Black Buck for four urials.

The two African Barbary sheep (one male and one female) and three flight-less birds Emu, from Australia, have been purchased while the lone Sindh Ibex has been donated to the zoo. The zoo has also received two Black Bears in donation.

The new bird species, all donated, are: two Grey Ring-necked Parakeet (one male and one female), and four Blue Ring-necked Parakeet (two males and two females). Both of these are local species.

Other newly-brought bird species are: three African Grey Parrot (one male and two females); two Orange-ringed Amazon (one male and one female); two Mealy Amazon (one male and one female), two Red-bellied Macaue (one male and one female) from South America, and three Horned Owl (one male and two female) from North America.

The zoo has been provided all these birds as donation. Responding to Dawn queries, KZG chief Mansoor Qazi said that negotiations were under way for acquiring tigers from Lahore zoo in exchange of certain animals.

He said that the zoo had never had kangaroos or hippopotamus, whereas it did have giraffes and rhinoceros in the '70s and '90s, respectively. The zoo also had some Wallaby (small kangaroo species) earlier.

Besides these four species, he added, the zoo also wanted to have elephants, but it had become difficult now as two major airlines that used to ferry these animals had stopped their operations in Pakistan.

He said that some time back, the zoo had even awarded contract to a local concern for the provision of six zebras, one male and five female, to the zoo. However, owing to suspension of the flight operations, the matter remained pending.

Mansoor Qazi said that the zoo, through City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, had approached various countries to get the animals. Sri Lanka and Thailand have been approached for acquiring elephants; Bangladesh for tigers and Nepal for rhinoceros.

He said that though the zoo had approached the Sindh Wildlife Department for acquiring local animals over a couple of years back, it had not yet received the animals except some crocodiles.