GUWAHATI: The Assam State Zoo is celebrating the successful hatching of three Mandarin ducklings (Aix galericulata) on Friday.
This is the first instance when Mandarin ducklings have hatched at the zoo.
The adult Mandarin Duck pair, which arrived at the Assam State Zoo a year ago on May 16, from Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysuru, Karnataka as part of an animal exchange programme, are the proud parents of the new ducklings.
The zoo reports that both the mother duck and her ducklings are in excellent health and are being closely monitored by the zoo’s keeper and veterinary staff.
Aswini Kumar, Division Forest Officer (DFO) at Assam State Zoo, announced that the birth of Mandarin ducklings marks a significant addition to the zoo’s legacy.
“This event underscores the vital role that zoos play in preserving biodiversity and fostering public appreciation for wildlife,” Kumar stated to the press.
The Mandarin Duck, a perching duck species, thrives in habitats such as wooded ponds, shallow lakes, marshes, and fast-flowing rocky streams.
While primarily found in East, Central, and Southern China, the species is known to migrate to lower latitudes during winter.
However, reports of it migrating to Assam is a rare phenomenon.
Remarkably, a Mandarin duck was observed in the wild in Assam for the first time in 118 years in February 2021, in Maguri-Motapung Beel of Tinsukia district.
