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From desert coolers for large cats to ice candies for bears, Mohali’s Chhatbir Zoo is ready to beat the heat
To shield the seven-month-old cubs, who were born to white tigress Diya in November last year, from the soaring temperatures, the zoo authorities have created water ponds
While humanity battles with a pandemic amid scorching heat, three Royal Bengal tiger cubs are busy playing in a water pond at the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park popularly known as Chhatbir Zoo.
To shield the seven-month-old cubs, who were born to white tigress Diya in November last year, from the soaring temperatures, the zoo authorities have created water ponds—one inside the night shelter and one outside in the enclosure. These water ponds are part of the measures taken by the zoo authorities to save animals from summer heat.
“Our focus is to protect the cubs from the rising temperatures for which water ponds have been dug,” says zoo field director M Sudhagar.
The zoo was closed on March 16 as a precautionary measure against the Covid-19 outbreak, thus giving the cubs and their mother Diya enough time to train without being exposed to human interference. Royal Bengal tiger Aman, father to the cubs, has had no interaction with them to date.
With the changing temperature, the zoo authorities have made certain changes in the diet as well as the feeding time. “Frozen fruit ‘candies’ have been introduced for bears this year to enrich their dietary experience during summer,” says Sudhagar.
“Papaya has been replaced with bananas and other seasonal water-based fruits, cabbage leaves make for spinach leaves, and radish has been replaced with cucumber,” he adds.
These ice blocks are provided to each bear, every day. Water-based fruits such as watermelon have been added in the diet for monkeys, bears and elephants. Glucon-D powder is mixed in the drinking water of all the carnivores and omnivores to prevent dehydration.
Sudhagar says, “Special seasonal arrangements are made for the animals on a case to case basis during summer to help them cope physiologically and for their better up-keep.”
Desert coolers and air circulator fans are provided in the night shelters of all tigers, leopards, lions, bears and other large cats. Water ponds have been dug and natural cooling tubs have been kept in most of the enclosures to minimise the physiological effects of scorching heat. Water tankers and tractors are kept in standby to ensure an uninterrupted supply of water in the zoo.
To keep the enclosures mosquito free, the windows have been covered with mesh. Shallow muddy pools have been created in elephant enclosure, Manipur deer enclosure, Swamp deer enclosure and deer safari for wallowing and mud bath. Concrete water pools are also being maintained round the clock as part of summer management activities.
All bird cages have been covered with agro-net of 75% density and jute mats sprinkled with cool water to save birds from hot air and harsh sunlight and prevent heat stroke. “In a special measure for the aviary, misting facilities have been added for the free flying birds to dissipate the high body heat,” added Sudhagar. The sprinkler/showers have been provided in pheasantry and small bird aviaries, too, to help birds spend the summer comfortably.
