Dusit Zoo starts moving first batch of animals to Khon Kaen zoo

BANGKOK, Oct 1 (TNA) -- Dusit Zoo began the operation to move the animals to other zoos after the country's oldest and most famous animal park has closed for good on Sunday. About 1,000 animals will be temporarily moved to six public zoos in Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Songkhla, Ubon Ratchathani and Khon Kaen, while their permanent new 300 rai home in Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani is built. It is three-times the size of Dusit Zoo. Construction of the new zoo has not yet started. It is expected to begin next year, with the opening planned within the next three years. Pitak Ounsorn, the director of Dusit Zoo under the Zoological Park Organisation said that they have begun moving the first of their 1,088 animals made up of 179 species since dawn on Monday. The first batch to be moved to the Khon Kaen Zoo are three endangered species made up of one female albino white tiger, two female Tenasserim Lutung and two male and four female otters. The animals left Dusit Zoo at 8am and arrived at Khon Kaen Zoo in the evening. Mr Pitak said that the second batch of animals will be moved between October 5 - 6 to the Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo and will be made up of reptiles. These include cobras, pythons, anacondas and turtles. As for the remaining endangered animals, they will be gradually moved to the six other national zoos throughout the country. Mr Pitak said plans to move all the animals would proceed according to the original schedule starting with the easiest gradually moving up to the most difficult animals to transport. The easiest will be birds, followed by reptiles and finally mammals. Larger animals such as the elephants will be transported to the Elephant Kingdom Project in Surin later. The last to leave Dusit Zoo will be 52 year old 'Mae Malee' (Mama Malee) a female hippopotamus and the two male and female giraffes next month. Being the tallest and heaviest of the bunch these animals will need the most extreme care in transit. (TNA)