With ‘bio-banked’ genetic materials, Darjeeling has India’s first ‘frozen zoo’ | India News

SILIGURI: An actual-life “Jurassic Park” is taking form within the cloud-draped Eastern Himalayas – to not resurrect dinosaurs, however a final stand for species on the brink. Here, amongst crimson pandas and snow leopards, science isn’t cloning the previous, however saving what stays of the current.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling is India’s first “frozen zoo” – a genetic ark preserving the DNA of Himalayan wildlife in metal tanks crammed with liquid nitrogen at temperatures plunging to -196°C.
A collaboration between the zoo and Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, the cryogenic conservation initiative goals to make sure that even when these species dwindle within the wild, their genetic blueprints stay intact. “This is an effort to preserve DNA samples,” mentioned Debal Roy, Bengal’s chief wildlife warden.

Frozen zoos are gaining traction throughout the globe

Bengal’s chief wildlife warden Debal Roy mentioned, “We will collect tissue samples from wild animals. If an animal dies naturally or due to unnatural causes such as road kill, we have decided to take their tissue samples and preserve them in this facility.”
Spread throughout 67.8 acres at an altitude of two,150 metres (7,050ft), the zoo is India’s highest-altitude zoological park and a frontrunner in conservation breeding programmes for crimson pandas, snow leopards, and Tibetan wolves. It has additionally undertaken conservation work for species just like the Markhor (screw-horned goat), Mishmi takin, and Himalayan black bear.
Unlike conventional zoos, the place animals are showcased for guests, this facility has a twin function – housing reside animals whereas additionally banking their genetic legacy. Frozen zoos are gaining traction globally, providing a final line of defence towards extinction.
In Darjeeling, bio-banking efforts started in July final 12 months, with scientists accumulating and preserving genetic materials from captive animals equivalent to crimson pandas, Himalayan black bears, snow leopards, and gorals.
“As of now, we have started with captive animals,” zoo director Basavaraj Holeyachi mentioned. “We have developed a dedicated lab inside the zoo where we preserve gametes and DNA of endangered species.”
The course of includes two ranges of preservation: genetic sampling, which requires storage at -20°C and bio-banking, the place tissues have to be submerged in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. Scientists put together the samples to stop cell injury.
“The frozen zoo contains irreplaceable genetic material – living cell lines, gametes, and embryos – that are vital for conservation efforts, assisted reproduction, and evolutionary biology,” Holeyachi mentioned.
In the longer term, saved genetic materials could possibly be used for assisted copy strategies, together with the potential for utilizing surrogate moms to revive species. “As long as there is a continuous supply of liquid nitrogen, these tissues can be stored indefinitely,” mentioned an official. The facility’s efforts have drawn worldwide recognition, with World Association of Zoos and Aquariums lately shortlisting it for its crimson panda conservation initiatives.
As habitats shrink and local weather change alters ecosystems, the frozen zoo might maintain the important thing to making sure that the ghostly silhouettes of snow leopards and the playful rustlings of crimson pandas proceed to be extra than simply echoes of the previous.