Bhubaneswar: Animal lovers will soon have more reasons to cheer as the Nandankanan Zoological Park is set to receive several new species, including Bonnet macaques, sulphur-crested cockatoos, ring-tailed lemurs, wild dogs and nilgai.

Under an animal exchange programme with the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Nandankanan will receive ring-tailed lemurs (1:1), wild dogs (1:1), a sulphur-crested cockatoo (1:0), bonnet macaques (2:2) and nilgai (1:1).

In exchange, the Visakhapatnam zoo will receive swamp deer (1:2), four-horned antelope (1:2), Assamese macaque (1:1), mouse deer (2:2) and gharials (1:2) from Nandankanan.

The animal exchange programme, approved by the Central Zoo Authority in New Delhi, will take place between March 7 and March 10, 2026, official sources at Nandankanan said. Teams from both zoos are working to ensure the safe transit of the animals.

A team from the Visakhapatnam zoo has already reached Nandankanan to coordinate the logistics.

“This collaborative effort will add the ring-tailed lemur as a new species to Nandankanan’s animal collection and aims to enhance genetic diversity while strengthening the conservation profiles of both premier institutions,” officials said.