Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 26: The mercury now is hovering around 35 degree Celsius. The authorities of the Nandankanan Zoological Park however, are ready to negotiate up to 50 degree Celsius.
Heat affects animals as much as it affects man. While the zoo authorities have kept glucose packs and medicines to bring stress-level down, ready for the ‘overworked’ staff who all are expected to work round the clock to make heat-hit lives of animal folks easy, they have, as in the previous years, brought the blueprint that includes making arrangements to sprinkle water on animals in their enclosures, putting up a shed over the pool the animals drink water from, thatching up the aviary and making the habitat of the smaller inhabitants of the zoo, such as the marmoset monkey and the giant squirrel, more hospitable, out of the cupboard and are scanning it for possible loopholes.
Talking to Orissa Post, KL Purohit, assistant director of the zoo said, “The temperature is rising every day and this is just the beginning. We are already prepared to deal with temperature around 46 degree Celsius”. It all depends upon the way the weather changes. “As for now, the current 34 degrees is nothing as in the month of June-July it may reach 46 degrees as it did last year,” he added.
The Nandankanan Zoological Park, which is a home to around 148 species with a total population of 2389 animals is even prepared to deal with an above-normal rise in the temperature. “Every year we take special measures for the protection of animals and this year too we are planning to initiate more preventive measures in case temperature reaches 48-49 degree,” the assistant director said.
“We make special arrangements, such as (installing) water spray and sprinklers in all enclosures for the relief of all the animals. We provide running water facility in the pools, which helps to regulate the temperature of the water, shed over the pool etc. We also keep the ice blocks for the carnivorous animals as those help them to keep their body temperature down” said Purohit. “Special measures for the birds will also be taken. The bird enclosure would be provided a special thatching to keep its environment cool,” he said.
However, it is the small animals that suffer more than their bulkier fellow dwellers as they find negotiating the rise in temperature more difficult. “Small animals such as marmoset monkey and squirrels are the ones who suffer a lot during summer. They can’t bear the heat, so we are going to take extra care and precautions for them” he added. Their habitat, in the process would become cooler.
The zoo authorities informed that they do not neglect men in their zeal to alleviate the heat-induced suffering of the animals and the birds living in the zoo. “We take special care for the staff that works day in and day out to take care of the animals. The zoo staff will be provided stress-relieving medicines as also glucose water so that they deal with rising heat and work pressure in a more professional way”.
