The vegetarian diet to be procured also includes 2,020 kg of mixed fruits and 5,000 bananas.

The Himachal Pradesh Forest and Wildlife Department is in the process of procuring 12,600 kg of chicken, 5,200 kg of goat meat, 600 kg of fish, 6,000 eggs, 2,050 kg of green vegetables, and tons of fodder, green and dry grass to feed the many carnivores and herbivores kept in its two animal centres – the Himalayan Nature Park Kufri Zoo and the Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Tutikandi, Shimla. The vegetarian diet to be procured also includes 2,020 kg of mixed fruits and 5,000 bananas.

Though chicken, goat meat, fish, and eggs will be supplied to the park and the centre on a daily basis throughout 2024-25, the fodder will be brought in bulk. Sources said, “Adequate precautions are taken while procuring the meat. First, the meat is certified by the government veterinary doctors at the slaughterhouse from where it is procured. After that, the authorities put the meat to veterinary test at the mini zoo and the Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and it should be given a clean bill of health by the veterinarians.”

The herbivores at the two centres include Himalayan musk deer, barking deer, Himalayan tahr, and pheasants, including Himalayan monal, common pheasant, and Kalij pheasant.

A wildlife officer said, “A leopard usually eats 5-6 kg of meat every day. The animal’s dietary chart changes from chicken to goat meat every three days. Meanwhile, 1 kg of fish is given to each bear on alternate days. The old contract to supply the feed, both non-veg and veg, to the two facilities will end by this month-end. We floated the tender last month. The process is going on. We will select the supplier on July 19.”