Endangered Mishmi takins reach Kolkata from Berlin, on transit to Darjeeling zoo

KOLKATA: Five Mishki takins, an endangered species of goat antelope – aged between 7 months and 3 years – will reach Darjeeling early on Saturday on transit from Berlin in Germany as they will be taken to Darjeeling Zoo as part of an exchange programme wherein Darjeeling Zoo will send two red Pandas to Berlin two months later.
Takin is the national animal of Bhutan and this species of Mishki Takin is native to India, Myanmar and China.The Mishki Takins – three male and two female – are being brought from Tierpark Berlin Zoo in Germany and is supposed to reach the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park by Sunday.
Darjeeling zoo authorities said they had been trying to bring the animals from the Tierpark in Berlin – Europe’s largest animal adventure park – for almost a year before they finalised on the exchange programme. The deal was struck in exchange of one male and one female red panda out of the total 21 red pandas in their zoo.
The five Mishmi Takins are names Charles, Claire, Danny, Ramona and Rock. While the first three were born in the Berlin Zoo, Ramona was born at a zoo in Munich and Rock had a captive birth at a Belgium zoo, before being brought to the Berlin Park. Darjeeling zoo will now be the only zoo in India to house Mishmi Takins after the inclusion of the five animals.