19/03/2025
With ‘bio-banked’ genetic material, Darjeeling has India’s first ‘frozen zoo’
A real-life "Jurassic Park" is taking shape in the cloud-draped Eastern Himalayas - not to resurrect dinosaurs, but a last stand for species on the brink. Here, among red pandas and snow leopards, science is not cloning the past, but saving what remains of the present.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling is India's first "frozen zoo" - a genetic ark preserving the DNA of Himalayan wildlife in steel tanks filled 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 aims to ensure that even if these species dwindle in the wild, their genetic blueprints remain intact. "This is an effort to preserve DNA samples," said Debal Roy, Bengal's chief wildlife warden.
Frozen zoos are gaining traction across the globe
Bengal's chief wildlife warden Debal Roy said, "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 across 67.8 acres at an altitude of 2,150 metres (7,050ft), the zoo is India's highest-altitude zoological park and a leader in conservation breeding programmes for red pandas, snow leopards, and Tibetan wolves. It has also undertaken conservation work for species like the Markhor (screw-horned goat), Mishmi takin, and Himalayan black bear.
Unlike traditional zoos, where animals are showcased for visitors, this facility has a dual role - housing live animals while also banking their genetic legacy. Frozen zoos are gaining traction globally, offering a last line of defence against extinction.
In Darjeeling, bio-banking efforts began in July last year, with scientists collecting and preserving genetic material from captive animals such as red pandas, Himalayan black bears, snow leopards, and gorals.
"As of now, we have started with captive animals," zoo director Basavaraj Holeyachi said. "We have developed a dedicated lab inside the zoo where we preserve gametes and DNA of endangered species."
The process involves two levels of preservation: genetic sampling, which requires storage at -20°C and bio-banking, where tissues must be submerged in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. Scientists prepare the samples to prevent cell damage.
"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 said.
In the future, stored genetic material could be used for assisted reproduction techniques, including the possibility of using surrogate mothers to revive species. "As long as there is a continuous supply of liquid nitrogen, these tissues can be stored indefinitely," said an official. The facility's efforts have drawn international recognition, with World Association of Zoos and Aquariums recently shortlisting it for its red panda conservation initiatives.
As habitats shrink and climate change alters ecosystems, the frozen zoo may hold the key to ensuring that the ghostly silhouettes of snow leopards and the playful rustlings of red pandas continue to be more than just echoes of the past.
