As the winter peaks in the Indian capital, the zoo here has been "warming up" its colourful inmates.
With night temperature dipping to 5.3 degrees Celsius, the chill that has set in the city has forced man and animal to scamper for cosy covers. The animals from warm tropical areas, like chimpanzees and big cats, are the ones that face the biggest problems.
"Our first option is to leave the animals to themselves so that they naturally adjust to the prevailing conditions," said B.S. Boral, director of the Delhi Zoo.
"They do not have anyone to 'warm them up' in the wild. Hence, they should not be conditioned to man-made comforts.
"Each animal anyway has a large enough enclosure and enough trees to fend for itself during these times," Boral said.
But it is not that the authorities just leave the animals to fend for themselves. When the chill becomes unbearable, officials swing into action.
"Night shelters" or "animal houses" have been provided for almost all animals, where they head after the zoo timings.
"These shelters help us observe their behaviour and take note of any changes due to the climate based on their food intake, urine and stool samples," Boral said.