Two male ostriches have shared an enclosure at Delhi’s National Zoological Park (NZP), since 2021 with no female in sight. A female rhinoceros, 18 years old, lost her mate last year. A male Egyptian vulture, over 20, has been alone for years. A female rhea has waited since 2018.
Blue and Yellow Macaws Birds getting a shower on a harsh sunny afternoon at Delhi Zoo in New Delhi, India, on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Representative image/HT PHOTO)
These are among 16 species — also including black bear, barn owl, grey langur, black swan, spoonbill, porcupine and blue-winged macaw — for which the zoo is now actively seeking mates, with discussions underway with zoos in Punjab, Jharkhand, Haryana and Chhattisgarh, zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said on Saturday.
Zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said multiple exchange programmes are currently at different stages of discussion, with the immediate focus being on pairing single-sex animals.
“The exchanges are at different stages of discussion. Based on our requirements, we can then give away surplus species. Our prime focus is to pair the single sex animals, while also infusing a fresh bloodline,” said Kumar.
He said discussions are underway with Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park at Chhatbir, Punjab; Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, Ranchi; Rohtak Zoo, Haryana; and Kanan Pendari Zoological Garden, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.
zoo
Among the 16 species the Delhi zoo is seeking partners for include ostrich, rhea, Egyptian vulture, Indian grey hornbill, grey langur, small Indian civet, rhinoceros, black bear, barn owl, grey francolin, black francolin, black swan, bar-headed goose, spoonbill, porcupine and blue-winged macaw.
Officials said some species have remained without mates for years and are being prioritised. These include the zoo’s two male ostriches, both aged around seven to eight years; a nine-year-old female rhea that has been at the zoo since 2018; a male Egyptian vulture aged over 20 years; a male Indian grey hornbill aged around 10 years; a 15-year-old male grey langur; a lone male small Indian civet; a single male black swan; and an 18-year-old female rhinoceros.
The rhino enclosure had briefly housed a breeding pair after a male was brought to Delhi in 2024, but the animal died last year. Similarly, the zoo’s black bear population now comprises four females after the death of a male bear in 2024.
The zoo is also seeking female partners for a male barn owl that has remained alone since 2022, a male grey francolin, a male black francolin, a male spoonbill and a male Indian civet. Male partners are being sought for a lone female porcupine, a female blue-winged macaw and the remaining female bar-headed geese.
However, another official, who did not wish to be named, said some efforts to bring in partners had previously failed to materialise.
“The two male ostriches came from Chhatbir zoo in 2021 and have stayed without partners since. A previous exchange never materialised. We also have four black bears, all females. A male had died three years ago. Even amongst the females, two are fairly old, and one cannot see properly. A male rhino was also brought to the zoo in 2024 as a partner for the female, but it died last year, so now another male is needed,” the official said, adding that a more proactive approach can help these species find companions sooner.
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region.
He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife.
Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species.
His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More
Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather major national developments and Karnataka Bandh LIVE.
Home/India News/Looking For Love: Delhi Zoo Seeks Partners For Its 20 Wild Singles
E-Paper
