Chhatbir zoo keeping animals cool during dog days of summer

Chhatbir zoo implements various measures like green agro-nets, water sprayers, and diet upgrades to keep animals cool during intense summer heatwave.

With mercury soaring above 45 notches amid severe heatwave conditions in tricity, the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, better known as the Chhatbir zoo, has come up with a plethora of measures to keep animals and birds cool during the intense summer.

A white tiger relaxing next to a pool. (Keshav Singh/ HT)

To protect the animals from scorching heat, zoo authorities have covered their shelters with green agro-nets which helps minimise the direct sunlight by reflecting it back.

An enclosure covered with agro-nets to keep the sunlight out. (Keshav Singh/ HT)

Bird shelters have been lined with jute nets, which are watered thoroughly time to time to maintain a pleasant temperature inside the enclosures.

A deer and a crow sipping water to beat the heat. (Keshav SIngh/ HT)

To provide some respite from the heat to the zoo’s feline occupants, like tigers, lions and leopards, their enclosures are being cooled down with the help of desert coolers and air conditioners.

A Himalayan bear cooling itself with a slab of ice. (Keshav Singh/ HT)

The shelters for rainforest birds, like grey falcon and rose-ringed parakeet, have been fitted with water sprayers, simulating a feeling of their natural habitat. Mud pools have also been thoughtfully installed, allowing mammals and birds a refreshing spot to cool off and maintain their body temperature. Bears at the zoo get 100 kg of ice everyday to roll on. Whereas, diet for herbivore animals, like giraffe and deer, have been upgraded by adding some seasonal fruits like watermelon and musk melons, which help them to tackle the hot days. No such changes, however, have been made in the dietary plan for carnivores.