Hyderabad: Special arrangements to keep zoo inmates warm

Bahadurpura : With mercury levels dropping, the Nehru Zoological Park has made winter arrangements for animals, as temperatures contineu to dip. Officials are keeping close watch on the health of animals.

Special measures have been made so that animals face the season without attracting any health problems. They include room heaters for all the big cats, covering of night houses with gunny bags to avoid cool air. Birds night enclosures are covered with 50% top level green cloth. Small monkeys like Squirrel monkey and Golden handed tamarin monkey are provided with small wooden boxes with dry paddy straw and a room heater in the night house.

Reptiles are provided with dry leaves, bulbs, small pots and danes to protect themselves from cold winds. Animal houses of mouse deer breeding centre are covered with green cloth and dry paddy straw is placed in each animal night house to protect from winter waves.

For nocturnal animal house, air condition has been stopped for a period of 3 months from November to January. All the carnivore night houses are provided with wooden planks to avoid cramps in foot region. In addition to all these arrangements, animals and birds are being provided with B-Complex supplements to help them cope with winter stress. They are also getting a healthy dose of seasonal fruits and vegetables.