AGARTALA, July 18 - The zoo in the Sipahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, about 20 km from here, would have some new inhabitants from Banerghatta Zoo in Bengaluru in an exchange programme.
As per the programme � two lions, two sambar deers, three black bucks and two porcupines � will be brought here, Director of the Sipahijala Zoo, Krishna Gopal Roy said.
In the exchange, the Bannerghatta Zoo would receive a pair of spectacled monkeys, three pig-tailed monkeys and two Asiatic bears, he said.
Sipahijala is one of the 22 large zoos in the country and the only zoo located within a wildlife sanctuary.
A portion of the sanctuary has been declared as Clouded Leopard National Park, which is the only breeding ground for the animal. It has presently 13 clouded leopards.
Roy said the animal population continues to swell at Sipahijala Zoo as two common leopards from Assam Zoo were brought here.
Last month, a wild elephant was rescued as it was damaging crops in Tepania area in Gomati district and was brought to Sipahijala Zoo.
An expert team from Assam and West Bengal were imparting training to tame it which would be used for elephant rides of the tourists.
An estimated 1.85 lakh tourists visited the sanctuary last year. � PTI