Mangaluru (PTI): Pilikula biological park here has acquired new exotic species of birds and mammals to attract more visitors.

The new species have been brought to the park from Greens Zoo of Gujarat under the animal exchange programme as approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), H Jayaprakash Bhandary, park director said.

The new birds are the Blue and Gold Macaw which is native to south America, Military Macaw of the central and south America, the Gala Pink and Grey Cockatoo of Australia and Green Turaco of west Africa. They have been let in display enclosures for the visitors, he said.

The new mammals introduced at the park include squirrel monkeys found in central and south America, red handed tamarin, native of north Amazon River, common marmosets of north eastern coast of Brazil and large rodents called the Patagonian Mara found in Patagonia and Argentina.

The mammals are being quarantined and their health is being monitored by a team of veterinarians, biologists, and zookeepers until the animals get acclimatised to the environment, Bhandary said.

In exchange, animals including tigers, leopards, dholes and a variety of snakes which were in excess have been handed over to the Greens Zoo, he said.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Ranchi (PTI): Tribal icon Birsa Munda's great-grandson Mangal Munda, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital here after being injured in a road accident, died of "cardiovascular failure" on Friday, an official of the health facility said.

He was 45.

Mangal Munda breathed his last at 12.30 am at the state's apex health facility - Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences.

Munda sustained severe head injuries after he fell from the roof of a passenger vehicle in Jharkhand's Khunti district on November 25.

"Birsa Munda's kin Mangal Munda died of cardiovascular failure around 12.30 am. He was on a ventilator after being critically injured. We tried our best to save him but failed," RIMS Medical Superintendent Dr Hiren Birua told PTI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and the Jharkhand Chief Minister's office were in touch with the RIMS authorities in connection with Munda's treatment.