THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ongoing lorry strike in the neighbouring states has put the city zoo in a quandary. A three-member team which left for Mysore last Friday to acquire two Indian buffaloes and two rare Red Jungle Fowl for the zoo is returning empty-handed for now as the lorry strike in Karnataka has botched up their transportation plans. The team, comprising veterinary doctor Joe Jacob Sebastian, Zoo Supervisor Radhakrishnan and animal keeper Vimalan, went to the Mysore Zoo on August 19 to collect the animals. The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo does not have these species. The Zoo, in fact, was planning to exchange two African buffaloes for the Indian Buffalo pair. The team waited four days for the lorry strike to end, but no decision has reportedly been taken regarding the strike. The team has decided to return for now and wait for the strike, called by lorry operators demanding reduction in toll rates on National Highways and fuel prices, to be called off. Lorry operators in Kerala are staying off the strike. The team will be back on Wednesday. In fact, the transportation problem has hit the Zoo’s Onam plans. Anticipating a huge rush during the Onam vacation, the zoo authorities had decided to bring the species as an added attraction. ‘’We are troubled that we cannot bring the new animals and birds to the zoo for the visitors here. But the safety of the animals is paramount and we abandoned the plan for now,” said Dr Joe Jacob. The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo had been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent months following the deaths of animals and birds.
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