Kanpur Zoo likely to get ostrich soon

KANPUR: The visitors may be able to see ostrich in Kanpur zoo in the near future. Ostrich was never there in Kanpur zoo earlier. A pair of this bird will be procured from Agriculture University in Chennai for which the Kanpur zoo administration has started making efforts. This will be the first time that Kanpur zoo will have a pair of ostrich. Talking to TOI, director, Kanpur zoo, K Thomas said, "The place from where the Kanpur zoo will be procuring Ostrich is Tamil Nadu University Of Veterinary And Animal Sciences.The transportation charges will also have to be borne by us." He added, "We have already written to the authorities of Agriculture University and have also got their response." Thomas said that efforts are being made to get the birds by March 2014.
The zoo director further informed that had it been an indigenous animal, permission for getting it through exchange programme would have to be taken from Central Zoo Authority (CZA). But in case of exotic animals such as ostrich, no such permission is needed. "We have launched a hunt to bring kangaroo and giraffe from some other place in near future but for this we will have to spend huge sums of money," Thomas added. Ostrich is distinctive in its appearance, with a long neck and legs and can run up to the speed of 70 km/hr, the fastest land speed of any bird. The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest eggs bird.
Their eyes are said to be the largest of any land vertebrate.