Bhopal: The Van Vihar National Park in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal on Saturday received two Asiatic lions from Gujarat in exchange for two Bengal tigers, a forest department official said.

The lion and lioness reached Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park in the evening from Sakkarbaug Zoological Park in Gujarat’s Junagadh, some 1000 kilometres from here, under the animal exchange programme, the official said.

“The age of both the lions is about three years. They have been kept in quarantine for care and medical examination in Van Vihar. At present, there are two lions and three lionesses in Van Vihar National Park,” the official informed.

In exchange for the pair of lions, a tiger (Bandhavgarh-2) and tigress (Bandhani), both aged six years, have been given from Van Vihar National Park to Junagarh Zoo, he added.

After permission was received from the Central Zoo Authority under the exchange scheme, a nine-member team had gone to Junagadh Zoo with a tiger and tigress from Van Vihar National Park on December 17.

Van Vihar National Park is located on the banks of the upper lake in the Madhya Pradesh capital.

With PTI Inputs