Zoo staff gear up to keep inmates warm

•    Carnivore night houses are covered with gunny bags
•    Room heaters were arranged in all the night houses of big cats
•    Reptile houses are provided with dry leaves, bulbs and small pots
•    Animals, birds are provided with B-Complex supplements to overcome stress

Bahadurpura: To ensure health and safety of wild animals, birds and reptiles in the prevailing weather conditions, the authorities at Nehru Zoological Park have geared up to make all the required arrangements.

According to the authorities, winter arrangements for the captive animals are being made to keep them warm, so that they remain healthy and do not fall sick.

“In view of winter, the following arrangements have been carried out in the interest of wild animals and to protect them from prevailing weather conditions,” said Syed Maqsood Mohiuddin, assistant conservator of forests.

As part of the arrangements, room heaters were arranged in all the night houses of big cats like tiger, jaguar, cheetah, leopard, lions, and primate night houses like sacred baboon, olive baboon, chimpanzee and lion-tailed macaque etc. All the carnivore night houses are covered with gunny bags to avoid winter waves and to protect them from pneumonia diseases. All the birds’ night houses are covered 50% with top-level green cloth to protect them from winter waves. The houses are also provided with nest boxes, particularly for macaws and cockatoos.

Small monkeys, like squirrel monkeys and golden handed tamarin monkeys, are provided with small wooden boxes with dry paddy straw and a room heater in their night houses.

Reptile houses are provided with dry leaves, bulbs and small pots to protect themselves from cold wind. Animal houses of mouse deer breeding centre are covered with green cloths on outer side and provided dry paddy straws in each animal night house to protect them from winter waves. 

In nocturnal animal houses, air condition has been stopped temporarily.  All the carnivore night houses are provided with wooden planks to avoid cramps in foot region. “In addition to all these arrangements the animals and birds are provided with B-Complex supplements in order to overcome stress,” the official said.