As Kolkata sizzled at 40-42 degrees Celsius, authorities at the more than 147-year-old Alipore zoo have come up with water sprinklers, special diets to beat dehydration, ice-blocks and bamboo sheds to keep the denizens of the zoological garden cool.
The Kolkata Corporation has been asked to pump more water to the zoo as temperatures soared and animals tended to wallow in the small pools and baths that dot the garden.
“We are mixing oral rehydration solution (ORS) powder with the drinking water of animals and birds at the zoo. Ice blocks or ice cubes are also being put in tubs of some animals where they bathe,” West Bengal Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick told PTI over the phone.
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Besides, bamboo mats have been placed over some enclosures to keep the place dark and cool and water sprinklers have been deployed to keep the elephants in good humour. Similar steps are being taken across all the zoos in the state, wherever necessary, the minister said.
He also said that the zoo will need more water and therefore he has written to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation asking them to pump more to the zoo which was inaugurated by the then prince of Wales who later became King Edward VII in 1876. So far, none of the animals and birds has fallen ill due to the heat, the minister said.
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“We had noticed that many animals in the zoo had cut down on their food intake during the ongoing heat-wave conditions and hence started taking special steps to give them relief,” the minister said.
According to officials of the West Bengal Zoo Authority, misting is being carried out in individual animal enclosures in the zoo. A zoo misting system creates a dry fog that reduces temperatures. Air coolers have been placed in some enclosures and the water for birds is being changed twice, the officials said.
“All animals and birds are being given ORS twice a day and the timing of their meals has been changed. Water is being sprayed on the bellies and backs of tigers, lions and bears. It is also being ensured that their paws remain moist”, they said.
The quantity of green vegetables has been increased for herbivores and fruits with more water content, such as watermelons and seasonal fruits, have been increased for birds, an official said. Veterinarians are on alert in case any animal falls ill. Besides, the zoo keepers are visiting all the enclosures thrice a day, the official said.
As the heat is often drier than usual, measures have been taken to maintain the humidity level at above 60 per cent in the enclosure for snakes so that the reptiles do not suffer from fluid loss, the official said.
“The animals are also taking care of themselves. For example, a jaguar in Alipore Zoo hardly leaves his resting place under a shady tree and the crocodiles mostly remain in the water,” he said.
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The paths used by visitors to tour the zoo are also being sprayed with water and the first-aid centre for them has been stacked with water and ORS. In case any visitor is taken ill, he or she can be given ORS with water, he said.
Similarly, the authorities of ‘Harinalay’, the mini zoo in the city’s New Town area, have taken similar measures to keep the animals and birds who live there safe in the gruelling heat. “We are sprinkling water on the animals three times a day and have dug a pond for the birds,” the unit’s chief Vivek Ojha said.
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“Fruits with high water content like cucumber and watermelon are being given to the herbivorous animals and birds. The enclosure for monkeys has been covered with bamboo mats and water is being sprinkled on the sheds,” Ojha said.
