The Real Jungle Book

This past weekend, I went to the highest zoo in India. While I am not a huge fan of zoos, the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park has a special place in my heart. It is recognized internationally for scientific research and education. One of my favorite parts of the zoo is its breeding program. They currently use an ex-situ program to breed and release red pandas, Tibetan wolves, snow leopards, and other endangered species.

The organization I work for, ATREE (the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment), partnered with the zoo to complete the first successful release of captive red pandas. Red pandas are one of the signature species of the forested areas around Darjeeling, but they have been significantly reduced due to habitat loss and hunting.

(The above photos picture a red panda currently in the Zoological Park taken by me).

While the red pandas were the highlight of the zoo, I also enjoyed walking around and hearing families whisper, "look Baloo... Mowgli's friend...," and children skipping while humming Jungle Book hymns. The Jungle Book is based in Northern India and is a point of pride for Indian children. The cartoons from the movie come alive in the zoo and the curators have taken advantage of it. The signs point out the different animals from the Jungle book and ask children to spot Kaa, Bagheera, King Louie, Raksha, Shere Khan and Baloo.

Below are some of my photos from the zoo - close your eyes, imagine Mowgli, and sing, "The Bare Necessities," as loud as you can.

#animals #conservation