Kevadiya: Three new members at the Sardar Patel Zoological Park in Ekta Nagar have become a special attraction for visitors — a male and two female chimpanzees.

To mark World Rainforest Day on June 22, the jungle safari and zoological park at the Statue of Unity (SoU) in Ekta Nagar inaugurated a new chimpanzee enclosure for public viewing. The exhibit, modeled after the tropical rainforests of Africa, is now home to Nico (male) and two females, Suzy and Emilia.

The primates, originally from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, were recently brought to India from the Capital Zoo Wildlife Park in Abu Dhabi.

According to Vipul Chakraborty, Director of the Sardar Patel Zoological Park, a specially designed enclosure has been created to simulate their natural habitat. “Chimpanzees are native to African rainforests, so we have recreated a similar environment to make them feel at home,” he said.

“With this addition, our collection has grown to 113 species or ‘ratnas’,” he added. Chakraborty also noted that the chimpanzees have successfully completed their quarantine period and are now fully acclimatized to the Indian climate.

Visitors can observe the chimpanzees through glass enclosures, offering an immersive rainforest-like experience.

Highlighting their ecological significance, Chakraborty said chimpanzees, being primarily frugivorous, play an essential role in seed dispersal, contributing to rainforest regeneration. He also emphasized their close connection to humans, describing chimpanzees as our nearest living relatives, with a high degree of genetic similarity. DeshGujarat