White Rhea, Brown Rhea and Swamp Deer are the new attractions at Pilikula Biological Park now.
The park has brought them from Thiruvananthapuram zoo, Kerala, under the animal exchange programme, according to H. Jayaprakash Bhandary, park director.
Rheas are largest flightless bird from South America. There is a pair each of White Rhea and Brown Rhea in the park now.
A special feature of the rheas is that once the female lays the eggs, the male incubates them. Once the chicks hatch, they flock with the male, he said.
Mr. Bhandary said that the park has three swamp deer now. They are also called Barasingha found in the Indian subcontinent. They are endangered species found in certain pockets of North India and Nepal.
In exchange, the park has sent three King Cobras and two pairs of Whitaker’s Boa to Thiruvananthapuram zoo.
