Two Siberian tigers from a zoo in Cyprus landed in Calcutta on Saturday evening.
Lara and Akamas, both aged under two years, are headed to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, popularly known as Darjeeling zoo.
Airport sources said the tigers flew to Dubai from Larnaca in Cyprus in two cages. They were in transit for 12 hours. In transit, they were given just water. The Emirates flight from Dubai landed in Calcutta around 7pm on Saturday.
The tigers land in Calcutta from Dubai on Saturday evening
The combined weight of the two is over 500kg.
They will reach the Bengal Safari in Siliguri in two ambulances.
Lara is in one cage and Akamas in another. Each cage will be placed in an ambulance. A team of vets will accompany them.
“The ambulances have basic medical facilities in case of an emergency,” said Basavaraj. S. Holeyachi, director of the Darjeeling zoo.
“From the Siliguri park, the cages will be shifted to two smaller vehicles which can climb the hills faster,” said Holeyachi.
The journey from Calcutta to Siliguri usually takes 12 hours. But the ambulances will not be driven at top speed because that can unnerve the animals. The journey is expected to take around 15 hours, said a forester.
From Siliguri, the Darjeeling zoo is around three to four hours. The big cats are expected to reach Darjeeling around Sunday evening.
During the course of the journey, the animals will be given a light meal of chicken. Once they reach the hills, they will be kept in quarantine for a month before being brought out for public display.
The last Siberian tiger in Darjeeling zoo died in 2007. The zoo now has a pair of Bengal tigers.