Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently released the Asiatic lion 'Bharat' and lioness 'Gauri' into their enclosures at the Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan (Gorakhpur Zoo).
These two rare wildlife animals were brought from the Etawa Lion Safari in the last week of May.
Following their release into the enclosure by the CM Zoo, visitors will now be able to see this pair of Asiatic lions and experience the thrill of hearing their roar. Earlier, on June 2, he visited the zoo to observe the five-year-old lion Bharat and the seven-year-old lioness Gauri, gathering detailed information about them.
Yogi's deep affection for the Gorakhpur Zoo is well-known. Whenever he has the opportunity, he visits to observe the wildlife and gather information about their care.
The CM 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. He gathered information about both lions from the Zoo Director and DFO, Vikas Yadav.
He planted a Harishankari sapling near the lion's enclosure, promoting a message of environmental conservation, and also viewed the oil paintings there. He then inspected the whole zoo.
During his visit, Yogi reached the enclosure of the rhino pair, 'Hari' and 'Gauri', and fed them with his own hands. This pair of rhinos is quite dear to the Chief Minister, and earlier on June 2, he had come to feed them bananas.
During the tour, he also visited the enclosure of the Himalayan bear 'Billu'. Upon seeing the bear distressed by the heat, he called out to Billu and personally fed him ice cream and honey.
The CM 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, he 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.