Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has released the Asiatic lion 'Bharat' and the lioness 'Gauri' into their enclosure at the Gorakhpur Zoo, known as Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan.
The five-year-old lion 'Bharat' and the seven-year-old lioness 'Gauri' were brought from Etawa Lion Safari in May.
Following their release into the enclosure by the Chief Minister on Saturday, zoo visitors will now be able to see this pair of Asiatic lions and experience the thrill of hearing their roar.
Adityanath also took to his official X handle and posted, "Today (June 15) is a historic day for Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan, the pride of Gorakhpur. The zoo has become prosperous with the arrival of a lion and a lioness here. Today we also got a special opportunity to plant 'Harishankari' saplings here."
He added further, "The double engine government is fully committed to the conservation and promotion of environment and biodiversity. Hearty congratulations to the people of the district!"
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, a release said.
He gathered information about both lions from the Zoo Director and DFO Vikas Yadav. Near the lion's enclosure, the CM also planted a 'Harishankari' sapling, promoting a message of environmental conservation and also viewed the oil paintings there.
The Chief Minster 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.
During the tour, Adityanath also visited the enclosure of the Himalayan bear 'Billu'. Upon seeing the bear distressed by the heat, he 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, the release said.
Acting as a mentor, he urged the children not to litter chocolate wrappers or any trash, emphasising 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 among others were also present.
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