Animals to get air coolers, fans to protect them from the summer heat in AP zoos
Vijayawada: With the India Meteorological Department forecasting severe heatwave conditions in parts of AP from March to May, forest authorities are making arrangements to ensure the inmates say stay safe in the Indira Gandhi and Sri Venkateswara zoo parks in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati respectively.
In Vizag zoo, authorities are setting up fans in enclosures for animals like white tiger, panther, chimpanzee, wild dog, hyena. They are keeping night house doors open for animals like chimpanzees from 11 am. Night houses are being covered with palmyra leaf shades and also a fresh coat of cool room painting is being done on them.
The authorities are taking steps to arrange khus khus mats for the bird cages and watering all enclosures in the morning and the evening. For reptiles, special water sprinklers are to be set up based on need.
They are also taking special care in providing special diet like water melon and cucumber to the animals in addition to providing glucose and B-complex. As the animals change their dietary habits in the summer, the authorities reduce the supply of unwanted food and provide what is needed in good quantity.
Indira Gandhi Zoo Park curator Dr Nandani Salaria said, “We are going to take all necessary measures to ensure the animals and birds in our zoo do not get any heatstroke this summer. We did not have any casualties last summer in our zoo.”
At the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, the authorities are arranging air coolers, wall mounted fans, exhaust fans based on need and viability in the night houses of animals in the enclosures. Khus khus mats are also being arranged on the enclosures with a facility to water them regularly to provide a cool effect to the animals secured in them. Green nets are being arranged for bird enclosures on the top to provide protection from heat wave. Water sprinklers are also to be arranged for birds and reptiles to cool their bodies by wetting themselves in the water.
Sri Venkateswara Zoo Park curator M. Hima Sailaja said, “As day temperature touches 40ºC to 47ºC in Tirupati during the summer, “we are initiating all requisite measures to ensure the animals, birds and reptiles do not suffer heatstroke.”
