Hyderabad Hosts Training Programme For Animal Keepers From South India Zoos
Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad launched a three-day training programme for 35 animal keepers from five southern states, focusing on animal care, hygiene, feeding, rescue, quarantine and enclosure management.
A three-day training programme for animal keepers from zoos across India commenced at Nehru Zoological Park on Wednesday.
The programme aims to improve keepers’ knowledge and awareness of hygiene, enclosure enrichment, feeding, diet chart maintenance, animal rescue and quarantine protocols. About 35 participants from Telangana, Karnataka, Keralam, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are part of the programme.
Telangana Forest Development Corporation vice chairperson and managing director Sunita M. Bhagawat, who launched the programme, described animal keepers as the heart of zoos.
She said the keeper’s eye is the first diagnostic tool, noticing small changes in appetite, gait or behaviour that often decides an animals’ outcome.
Indian Institute of Forest Management director Dr K. Ravichandran said that animal keepers play a very vital role in the zoo, who takes care of animals in all the aspects and builds up a good relationship with them.
Nehru Zoological Park curator J. Vasantha said the programme has been designed to strengthen the practical skills in areas such as animal behaviour, zoonotic diseases, animal rescue equipment demo, quarantine of newly arrived animals, veterinary care enclosure management and safety protocols.