Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Fifty coolers are in place as are special thatched roofs and sprinklers, potatoes have gone off the menu, and melons, cucumbers and mangoes have made their way in. Delhi Zoo’s 1,300 inmates, furry, feathery or otherwise, are set to chill out this summer.

“We are making special arrangements for the animals so that they don’t develop any summer blues or illnesses. Coolers,
special diets, specially thatched roofs are provided for the animals,” zoo curator Riaz Khan told IANS.

The day temperature is hovering at around 40 degrees Celsius these days.

The first step taken by the authorities was to remove the sheets that were placed last winter in enclosures to protect
inmates from cold winds. The second task was to install coolers for maximum air circulation.

“About 50 coolers have already been installed for various enclosures. The coolers are usually provided to the big cat
family and chimpanzees so that they can combat the heat wave,” Khan said.

He said apart from coolers, the areas where felines like tigers, lions, leopards and wild cats move have been provided
sheds.

For enhanced cooling, moats around animal enclosures are filled with water and replaced frequently. Some changes have
also been made in the diet charts of the animals.

“For carnivorous animals, the meat intake is reduced by two kg. Usually they consume 12 kg of meat per day, now it has
been reduced to 10 kg. To supplement it, we are giving them a lot of glucose water and fluids,” Khan said.

A zoo keeper said: “Chimpanzees are given less of vegetables, particularly potatoes, during summer and more of fruits.
They usually like to munch on melons, cucumber and watermelon…their favourites are mangoes. Sometimes ice creams are
given as well.”

As for herbivores, they are being fed a carbohydrate-rich diet that includes cucumber, papaya and watermelon.

The Himalayan black bear pair and their cub are from cool climes and therefore given more attention. They have a fan to
themselves now. The white tigers, brought from Siberia, will have to cool themselves in the moat waters.

The authorities say they find it particularly difficult to shield deer since they roam around freely and can’t be
confined to a particular place. Not to forget that they are quite a lot in number.

“We usually provide greenery in their enclosure and also use water sprinklers,” the keeper said.

Pneumonia, typhoid and heat strokes are common among the animals in summer, but regular checkups are carried out by
veterinarians to good effect.

Also, a new batch of migratory birds has come flocking to the zoo.

Birds like Asian koel, black-headed ibis, brown-headed barbet, yellow crowned woodpecker, Indian grey horn bill,
bulbuls, mynahs and parakeets have come from all across the country.

The zoo curator also said since the Yamuna water is polluted, it is not being used to fill the ponds.

“We are using the Yamuna water only for gardening purposes. We are filling the ponds with tubewell water. Due to this,
the avian population visiting the zoo is slowly depleting because of lack of fresh river water,” Khan said.

As a special arrangement for the avian guests, the cages are covered with palm leaf mats and khus-khus mats which
screen the sunlight to protect them from the harsh heat.

Also, the birds are given additional doses of Vitamin B and C as their metabolic rate goes down when the atmospheric
temperature increases.

Spread over an area of 240 acres, the Delhi Zoo houses over 1,300 varieties of mammals, reptiles and avian species. It
is also home to many endangered species in India.

The leopard cat, Indian rhinoceros, hippopotamus, blackbuck, Indian gazelle and lion-tailed macaque are among the
animals found here. It also houses nearly all varieties of deer found in the country.

(Prathiba Raju can be contacted at pratibha.r@ians.in)