New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Friday named two lionesses and a lion, recently brought to the Delhi zoo from Gujarat, as Maha Gowri, Shailja and Maheswar on the occasion of Navratri.

The Delhi zoo got the lion and lionesses last month from Sakkarbaug in Gujarat for breeding purposes under an animal exchange programme.

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The union minister, who participated in the valedictory ceremony of the wildlife week at the zoo, also planted native tree species of Gujarat near their enclosure.

As this was the occasion of auspices Navratri, Choubey named them as Maha Gowri and Shailja, and Maheswar," a statement said.

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The minister also named the two tigresses brought from the Gorewada wildlife rescue centre in Maharashtra as Aditi and Siddhi.

The tigresses were rescued from the Bhramapuri forest division in Chandrapur.

According to the Central Zoo Authority, the conservation breeding programme is about conserving a species by preventing imminent population collapse in the wild due to a large number of eliminative pressures (such as habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, industrialisation, poaching, illegal trade and climate change).

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)