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Chhatbir Zoo animals stress-free without visitors; two-layer sanitisation system in place
A two-layer sanitisation system is in place at the largest zoo in Punjab, where staff strength has been pared down with everyone working on rotation to minimise infection risk to animals
With Nadia, a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York, testing positive for coronavirus, officials at Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park or Chhatbir Zoo — whis is closed since March 16 as a precautionary measure against the Covid-19 outbreak — are taking no risks.
A two-layer sanitisation system is in place at the largest zoo in Punjab, where staff strength has been pared down with everyone working on rotation to minimise infection risk to animals. “Any staffer entering the zoo is sanitised once at the entrance and again just before entering the animal enclosures,” says zoo field director M Sudhagar.
All the 25 employees working here live in the zoo’s residential colony and are on a staggered roster. No outsiders are allowed. Masks, gloves, shoes and sanitisers are provided to staff coming in direct contact with the animals while feeding and cleaning them and taking care of their health.
The special diet given to the animals now includes meat. Immunity boosters are added. Supplements usually given to sick animals and those that have given birth are now given to all animals. “With disturbance from human beings reduced the animals appear happy and stress free. The feed intake is good and healthy,” says Sudhagar.
Staff families to be screened too
The Central Zoo Authority has already issued an advisory for 24-hour monitoring of animals through CCTV for any symptoms/abnormal behaviour. “We will also start screening the staff and their families with health questionnaires given out to ascertain if anyone is showing any symptoms,” adds Sudhagar. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh forest dept has closed all the nature trials in Nagar Van till April 15. Dr Abdul Qayum, deputy conservator of Forest, Chandigarh, took to Twitter saying, “Public entry to all forest areas were prohibited on getting positive Corona cases. It was a timely decision by the Chief Wildlife Warden, which not only helped in stopping in disease spread but also saved wildlife unlike reported in New York USA.”
Tigress diya takes cubs for outings
With the zoo closed for visitors following the Covid-19 outbreak, tigress Diya, who gave birth in November last year, has been allowed by zoo authorities to take her three cubs for well-deserved outings. Zoo officials for the last 10 days have been opening Diya’s enclosure where she has been isolated since November with the young ones to prevent infections. The tigress and her cubs now remain outside for two to three hours before going back.
These are considered test trials and the animals will be on public display once the zoo reopens. Zoo authorities had earlier created a crawling gallery for the cubs to play and get sunlight. The cubs had been coming out of the cubbing area and enter the feeding cell that used to be earlier frequented only by Diya to get their share of meat.
