Bijapur (PTI): Maoists hacked to death a 40-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party functionary in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district while he was attending a wedding function, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday in Paikram village where the victim, Neelkanth Kakem, who was the president of Awapalli mandal of the BJP, had gone with his family to attend the marriage of a relative, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

"When Kakem was busy with the function at the venue, some unidentified Maoists suddenly attacked him with sharp edged weapons. He died on the spot," the official said.

Soon after being alerted, a police team went to the spot and the body was sent for post-mortem, he said.

The exact reason behind the murder was yet to be ascertained, the official said.

Security personnel have launched a search in the area to trace the assailants, he said.

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Mangaluru: Pilikula Biological Park is preparing to welcome a range of new species, including an Asiatic lion, penguins, and yellow anacondas, as part of an animal exchange program.

H. Jayaprakash Bhandary, the park's director, stated that the zoo will receive a male Asiatic lion, wolves, exotic birds, and gharial crocodiles from Nandankanan Biological Park in Odisha. In return, Pilikula will send dhole (wild dog), reticulated pythons, Asian palm civets, and Brahminy kites to Nandankanan.

Additionally, penguins native to South America will be brought from Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo in Mumbai, with Pilikula providing marsh crocodiles in exchange.

Yellow anacondas will be brought from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai, in return for Indian cobras and other venomous snakes from Pilikula.

Exotic birds from S.V. Zoological Park (Tirupati zoo), Andhra Pradesh will be exchanged for Asian palm civets and other animals.

Bhandary noted that the penguins will require a special enclosure to provide a supportive environment, which will be created with the help of CSR funds or donors. He added that the introduction of penguins will lead to an increase in the number of visitors to the zoo.