Context: The Central Zoo Authority has allowed the Odisha government to carry out the planned transfer of a cheetah, African lion and Chimpanzee from Dubai Safari Park (DSP) to Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP), Bhubaneswar. The CZA has asked the wildlife wing of the State Forest and Environment Department to keep requisite housing facilities ready in accordance with its guideline.

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• The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) is set to receive a variety of new animals, including ring-tailed lemurs, red-necked wallabies, Hamadryas baboons, African grey parrots, and blue-and-gold macaws from the Dubai Safari Park (DSP).
•  In return, the NZP will provide hippos, blackbucks, hog deer, gaurs, red junglefowl, and gharials to the DSP.
• The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has directed the government to follow quarantine and health screening  guidelines, revisit the acquisition, housing, and breeding of color morphs, and adhere to COVID-19 protocols. The exchange of animals should be completed within one year.
• The NZP is known for its high daily footfalls and notable exhibits, such as white tigers and successful pangolin breeding.

• Central Zoo Authority

• The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is a statutory body operating under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, established in 1992 through the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Chaired by the Environment Minister, it comprises 10 members and a member-secretary. The primary aim of the authority is to enhance and reinforce the national conservation efforts for diverse biodiversity.
• The CZA plays a crucial role in accrediting zoos and overseeing their operations nationwide. It formulates guidelines and regulations for the transfer of animals between zoos, both domestically and internationally.
• Additionally, the CZA is involved in coordinating and executing initiatives related to capacity building for zoo personnel, planned breeding programs, and ex-situ research.

Cheetah

• The cheetah has a significant historical presence in India, with evidence of a Neolithic cave painting depicting a "slender spotted feline being hunted" found in Chaturbunj Nala, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.
• The name "cheetah" is derived from the Sanskrit term "Chitrak," meaning "the spotted one."
• The cheetah was believed to have vanished from the Indian landscape in 1947, facing brutal killings and hunting. The Indian government officially declared the cheetah extinct in 1952.
• Since the 1940s, the cheetah has faced extinction in 14 other countries, including Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Morocco, Syria, Oman, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Ghana, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

African and Asiatic lion

Nandankanan Zoological Park

• Nandankanan Zoological Park, situated near Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is named "The Garden of Heaven."
• Unlike typical zoos, Nandankanan is uniquely positioned within a forest, providing a natural habitat for its wildlife.
• The park actively participates in the conservation breeding of White-backed vultures, being one of six contributing zoos.
• Noteworthy features of Nandankanan include being the first zoo globally to breed both White and Melanistic tigers.
• White Tigers, distinct due to a recessive gene, result from breeding two Bengal tigers carrying this gene.
• Melanistic Tigers, characterized by black stripes, are a rare genetic occurrence due to increased melanin pigment.
• Nandankanan is the exclusive conservation breeding center for Indian Pangolins worldwide.
• It holds the distinction of being the only Indian zoo to attain institutional membership in the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
• Gharials successfully bred in captivity for the first time globally at Nandankanan in 1980.
• The park achieved a landmark by witnessing the birth of the endangered Ratel in captivity, a first in Indian zoos.
• Nandankanan boasts the second-largest heronry for Open Billed Storks in Odisha.