Satish, the hippopotamus who has been the star attraction of Kanpur Zoo in Uttar Pradesh for decades, is set to move to a new home at Indore Zoo in Madhya Pradesh. The relocation is part of an animal exchange programme between the two zoos, under which animals are swapped between the two cities. Once the date is finalised, Satish will begin his journey.
A 700 kilometre journey, spent almost entirely in water
The distance between Kanpur and Indore is around 700 kilometres, and Satish will cover the entire stretch while being kept wet throughout. Around 20,000 litres of water are expected to be used during the journey. Hippopotamuses are amphibious animals that can live both on land and in water, but they spend close to 80 percent of their time submerged, which makes it essential to keep Satish continuously moist during the long transit.
A custom cage is being built in Indore
The Indore Zoo administration is already preparing to receive Satish. A special cage measuring 8 feet by 5 feet in length and width is being constructed for him, with the height kept in the same proportion so that he has enough room to sit and stand comfortably. The cage has deliberately not been made too large, since excess space increases the risk of the animal slipping or getting injured during transit. The rest of the animal exchange arrangements are now in their final stages.
Monsoon timing and a dedicated water setup on the truck
Zoo authorities have deliberately chosen the rainy season for the transfer so that Satish's skin stays naturally moist along the route. The transport truck will also carry a dedicated water system, with tanks of 100 litres capacity each mounted on board. A continuous water spray will be directed at Satish through the journey, and staff will additionally pour water on him from buckets at intervals to make sure his skin does not dry out during the long haul.
Speed capped, with stops every 100 kilometres
The Central Zoo Authority has fixed a maximum speed limit for the vehicles involved in this exchange. Neither the truck carrying Satish nor the vehicle bringing the lioness to Kanpur will travel faster than 60 kilometres per hour. Because the journey is long, the truck will make stops every 100 kilometres so that Satish can be looked after along the way. Indore Zoo's administration has also made its own arrangements on that end.
In exchange, lioness Veera will arrive in Kanpur to pair with Shankar
In return for Satish, Indore Zoo will send the Asiatic lioness Veera to Kanpur. Veera is currently three years old and was born at Indore Zoo. Once she reaches Kanpur, she will be paired with the Asiatic lion Shankar, who is currently the only male lion at Kanpur Zoo. His sister Nandini and mother Uma are the zoo's other lionesses. Ajay, the lion who headed this family, died some time ago, and no new cub has been born into the pride in the past eight years. The zoo administration hopes that Veera's arrival will eventually help the lion family grow again.
Without water, a hippo's skin starts to crack: forest officer
Range Forest Officer Firoz Khan said that hippopotamuses spend most of their time in water, and if kept away from it for too long, their skin begins to crack. That is why a continuous water spray will be maintained on Satish throughout the journey to Indore, and full arrangements have been made for this. Kanpur Zoo currently has five hippopotamuses in total, and that number will drop to four once Satish leaves for Indore.
