Lion-tailed macaque's birthday at BNP

On August 12, the Bannerghatta Biological Park celebrated the seventh birthday of their lone Lion-tailed macaque, along with the naming ceremony of a six-month-old hippopotamus calf.

This is the first time two such events were held in the zoo. The idea was to involve the visitors and make them aware of the species and the role they play in the environment.

The Lion-tailed macaque, Renuka, was given a puzzle feeder with treats, including meal worms and grapes. Lion-tailed macaques are considered to be critically endangered species.

Also, the male hippopotamus calf was christened Alok. The calf was born on January 31 and was adopted by the owner of Amala Alok Farms, and hence the name. The owner, Alok, also adopted Renuka for a year.

This calf is special to BBP as his mother Dashya had previously lost four calves. But this time, with special care by the zoo keepers and the animal management team, Dashya was successfully reared. In total, there are seven hippopotamuses in BBP.

As per the BBP adoption rules, Rs 75,000 has been paid as the annual adoption charges for the hippopotamus calf and Rs 10,000 for the Lion-tailed macaque.

The amount will be utilised to feed the animals, take care of their medical expenses and other requirements. The name of the owner is placed on the cage. The adoption amount is tax free, as per the Income Tax rules.