Hyderabad: City Zoo takes steps to beat the heat

Hyderabad: Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad has made elaborate arrangements by installing coolers, sprinklers and foggers to protect animals from soaring temperature.

The zoo authorities have installed more than 200 sprinklers and small rain guns in all enclosures, particularly in enclosures of herbivores.

More than 1,000 foggers have also been arranged in the Reptile House, New Macaws, all Pheasantry and Aviary area.

Zoo officials pointed out that humans are finding it difficult to cope with the rising temperature and animals too are facing the heat hard.

The Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) has made arrangements and has taken precautionary measures to avoid summer stress and stroke in the interest of animals' health, care and protection of the mammals, birds, reptiles and other animals.

Watering on lawns and gardens is being continuously done from the first week of March to keep the enclosure and its surrounding green and cool. This will continue till mid of June.

Zoo curator Prashant Bajirao Patil said they have placed more than 1,000 kilograms of thunga grass on the roofs of enclosures and night houses.

The zoo officials have provided shade net to the Duck Pond, Stork Pond area. More than 80 air coolers have been installed in monkeys, Carnivore and Omnivores enclosures. Air Conditioners and exhaust fans have also been fixed in the Nocturnal Animal house and cub rearing centre.

The curator pointed out that temporary shady shelters were also provided to all Herbivore enclosures.

As part of the measures to protect animals from summer heat, the zoo authorities are also providing seasonal fruits like watermelon, musk melon and citrus variety fruits to all apes, monkeys, primates, birds and bears.

All animal houses are being provided adequate protected cold water from time to time to avoid dehydration.

The veterinary section has provided Glucon-D, Electral Powder, Vitamin-C supplements, B-Complex supplements, Stresswell and Thermo Care Liquid in water to avoid summer stress.

Kashkash Thattis have been made available to all Animal House enclosures to protect animals from direct sunlight exposure.

Watering is done at least 3 to 4 times on the Kashkash thattis and thunga grass to avoid summer stress.

All animal keepers, head animal keepers, park supervisor are taking preventive steps from time to time to avoid summer stress to the wild animals, birds and reptiles.

The curator inspected all the summer seasonal arrangements and instructed the field staff to keep a constant vigil on the animals, birds, and reptiles as they were doing earlier. He also appreciated the efforts put in by the animal keepers, Malis and workshop technicians in the maintenance to overcome the summer related issues.