According to Rajkot Zoological Park officials, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) had approved the animal exchange programme with Mysore Zoological Garden last year.

Rajkot has given one male Asiatic lion to Mysore Zoo and in exchange, it will get 47 animals and birds, seven of which arrived on Saturday.

"The seven animal that arrived in Rajkot include two female hog deer, one pair of Indian wolf, one male Himalayan black bear, two common sand boa. Other animals will arrive in phased manner," said an official.

The other species that arrive later in the year includes Alexandrine parakeet, red jungle fowl, white ibis, rose ring parakeet among others.

"The new species are put under observation at the zoo and they will soon be put for public view," said a zoo official.

With the arrival of new species, Rajkot Zoo now houses 252 animals of 39 species.

The Rajkot zoo attracts over 1,500 visitors daily and the number of visitors' increases up to 2,500 on weekends and public holidays. The zoo houses lions, tigers, leopards, four-horned antelope, chinkaras, sambhars and blackbucks among others. New facilities and enclosures are under construction to house more animals and species at the zoo.