urabaya Zoo in East Java is set to receive four animal species from Japan’s largest reptile park, iZoo, under a breeding loan agreement that will see the Indonesian zoo exchange its Komodo dragons.
The confirmed arrivals include a pair of red pandas, a pair of giraffes and four Aldabra giant tortoises, while one additional species is being kept under wraps as a surprise for visitors.
Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi hinted at the arrival of a pair of red-colored animals that could become the zoo’s new icon.
“It will be a surprise for Surabaya residents. They are red and not reptiles,” he said.
He added that the partnership had been in the works for nearly a decade before finally materializing this year, and expressed the hope it would boost public interest while reinforcing Surabaya Zoo’s status as a modern, internationally recognized conservation destination.
“Hopefully this loan program will generate greater interest both in Surabaya and in Japan, where people have long dreamed of seeing Komodo dragons,” he said.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
Surabaya Zoo’s operations and general director, Nurika Widyasanti, said that under the agreement, the zoo would loan a pair of Komodo dragons aged between 8 and 12 years, both bred in-house, to iZoo for a period of five years.
