Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday released the Asiatic lion ‘Bharat’ and the lioness ‘Gauri’ into their enclosure at the Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan (Gorakhpur Zoo). These two rare wildlife animals were brought from Etawa Lion Safari in the last week of May.
Following their release into the enclosure by the Chief Minister, zoo visitors will now be able to see this pair of Asiatic lions and experience the thrill of hearing their roar. Earlier, on June 2, CM Yogi Adityanath visited the zoo to observe the five-year-old lion Bharat and the seven-year-old lioness Gauri, gathering detailed information about them.
CM Yogi’s deep affection for the Gorakhpur Zoo is well-known. Whenever he has the opportunity, he visits to observe the wildlife and gather information about their care.
The Chief Minister released the pair of Asiatic lions, ‘Bharat’ and ‘Gauri’, into their enclosure in the presence of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Forest and Environment Dr Arun Saxena on Saturday. He gathered information about both lions from the Zoo Director and DFO Vikas Yadav. Near the lion’s enclosure, the CM planted a Harishankari sapling, promoting a message of environmental conservation and also viewed the oil paintings there.
He then inspected the whole zoo. During his visit, he reached the enclosure of the rhino pair, ‘Hari’ and ‘Gauri’, and fed them with his own hands. This pair of rhinos is quite dear to the Chief Minister, and earlier on June 2, he had come to feed them bananas.
During the tour, he also visited the enclosure of the Himalayan bear ‘Billu’. Upon seeing the bear distressed by the heat, he called out to Billu and personally fed him ice cream and honey. He spent a total of around twelve minutes near the enclosures of Hari, Gauri, and Billu. He further named the tiger ‘Shakti’ which was rescued from the forests of Lakhimpur.
During his zoo visit, the Chief Minister interacted with children from Vantangiya Basti and Purv Madhyamik Vidhyalaya Jungle Tikonia Number 3. He had a friendly chat with them, showered blessings and offered them chocolates.
Acting as a mentor, he urged the children not to litter chocolate wrappers or any trash, emphasizing the importance of using dustbins. He also reminded them to stay hydrated in the heat. The Chief Minister also enjoyed interacting with children who had their faces painted with a lion theme.
Mayor Dr Manglesh Shrivastava, MLC and BJP State Vice President Dr Dharmendra Singh, MLA Vipin Singh, Pradeep Shukla, BJP District President Yudhishthir Singh, Mahanagar President Rajesh Gupta, DFO and Zoo Director Vikas Yadav etc. were also present.
