Lucknow Zoo Hoping on New Male Chimpanzee for Thier Female, Nikita

LUCKNOW: The first move has been made towards securing Nikita, the love of her life. The female chimp at Lucknow zoo, Nikita, has almost lived a
lonely life ever since she came here in 2007. Her partner, Jason has shirked every move of her to get close.

Worried over a potential female going waste, Lucknow zoo has turned to Kanpur zoo for help. "We have written it to them to give their male chimp to us as a breeding loan," said Renu Singh, zoo director.

If Kanpur zoo authorities agree their male chimp Chhajju might come to replace Jason. Chajju is also alone at Kanpur and has a mere display value there. "If Jason replaces him, there will not be much difference," said the director.

The pair of Nikita and Jason was brought at the cost of one of the most popular inmates of zoo, Khushi, the female giraffe. It has been already two years since they are together but have not mated.

Jason, 17, came to zoo with her lady Nikita, 16, in August 2007 from Mysore zoo. The two have a different parentage and there could not be anything like siblings-not-ready-to-mate.

Jason and Nikita were brought after lot of hope. The zoo had lost last chimps' pair of Cheena and Sunny in 2002. Cheena died of tumour and Sunny went into depression after her death and died. The duo had no babies.

Source