Hyderabad: In an attempt to beat the heat during summer for the animals of Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, the authorities are using various cooling systems.
ANI quoted Dr MD Abdul Hakeem, Deputy Director at Nehru Zoological Park as saying, “We have almost more than 2,000 species of wild animals at the zoological park, including birds and reptiles. With 195 species, it is one of the largest zoological parks in India. Every summer, we do this kind of arrangement. The present temperature is 41 to 42 degrees Celsius. The precautionary measures have been taken from the first week of March as the temperature was increasing day by day.”
He informed that white tigers and birds are the ones who mostly bear the brunt in the summers.
In a major step to prevent animals from summer stress, especially for open animals, Zoo authorities will provide shelters and sprinklers in enclosures for herbivores so that humidity will increase and ambient temperature will be reduced. While coolers will be arranged for carnivores and monkeys, foggers will be arranged for birds and reptiles so that sprinkling of the water on the body and enclosure can be done. Air conditioning, air curtains and air coolers will be provided for nocturnal animals. The temperature is reduced in the enclosure upto 36 degrees.
A dietary change is also maintained by the zoo authorities in summer and the veterinary wing keeps close monitoring of the heath of the animals.
Animals are provided fruits like watermelon, musk melon, citrus fruit, while B complex, oral rehydration solutions (ORS) are given to them from time to time in summer to reduce the temperature effect. The veterinary wing keeps close observation and the animal keepers will be there to take care. Dr Hakeem told that they take all the precautions to protect animals from the scorching heat as the temperature will go high in April and May.
