Special arrangements for zoo inmates

Come winter, animals at Nehru Zoological Park are in for a royal treatment with staff making special arrangements to help them cope up with the falling mercury.

In this regard, arrangements in enclosures includes heated lights for snakes, heaters for animals, gunny bags for birds and some more special arrangements for the lions.

Round the clock veterinary doctor is on call to prevent the animals becoming sick due to change in temperature.

According to assistant curator J Muralidhar, “Compared to earlier, this time around, some special arrangements are made because reptiles won’t be able to withstand severe winter.

Lights providing warmth, hay and earthenware pots are provided in the enclosure to ensure their comfort.”

The zoo authorities say that some snakes are not venturing out of the earthenware pots unable to withstand cold.

The enclosure where the African chimpanzee was kept is provided with heater while gunny bags were tied outside to keep winter at bay.

Since birds are too sensitive to withstand cold, gunny bags were tied outside their enclosures. In the enclosures meant for monkeys, heaters are provided, while a den like setting is provided in enclosures meant for tigers and lions.

The officials exempted deer, horses and elephants from the special arrangements as they are able to withstand severe cold.

The enclosures of animals, reptiles and birds would be open for public only after testing them for about 10 days.