Water Tankers Used To Quench Thirst Of Wild Animals In MTR Region

OOTY: As the dry weather and lack of rain have already begun to dry up water sources in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) woods, the MTR administration has begun to operate water tankers inside the woods to help the wild animals quench their thirst.

The frost in the preceding winter months, lack of rain and the continuing hot weather over the past three months damaged the jungle canopy, especially in the MTR periphery, which began to show signs of withering and drying.

This weather is making the woods turn brittle, shedding leaves and thus making the woods and jungle surface flora to become susceptible to wildfire besides making the water availability an arduous task to deal with as the water sources in the jungles would generally go dry in the hot weather.

The foresters make efforts to address the water needs of the wild animals and tide over the crisis during the dry months. The MTR administration has started operating water tankers inside the woods now to regularly fill up the troughs and water holes in select areas inside the woods to ensure availability of sufficient water for the wild animals.

As of now, in the Segur range of the MTR buffer zone, water tankers are being operated every day to take over 9,000 litres of water to fill the troughs and water holes inside the woods.

This arrangement will be extended to other ranges in the MTR in the days to come.

It will ensure that the animals get clean water regularly to meet their water needs, sources added.