Hyderabad zoo authorities keep animals, birds cozy in winter

Besides introducing heaters to keep the wildlife warm, care is being taken to ensure animals and birds survive seasonal ailments.

Hyderabad: As the mercury continues its slide and winter cold starts to bite, Nehru Zoological Park has taken up additional measures to keep the animals and birds warm and comfort.

Given the thick green growth and open and natural settings, the zoo premises are more colder than the city core or even the suburbs. Apart from its vast green cover, the zoo has Miralam Tank in immediate neighbourhood and located further away are the two water reservoirs – Himayatsagar and Osmansagar. The minimum temperatures at the zoo usually dip a little more, by a few degree Celsius, than other parts of the city.

Authorities at Nehru Zoological Park said they are taking adequate measures to protect the animals from the bitter cold. Besides introducing heaters to help keep the wildlife warm, care is being taken to ensure animals and birds survive seasonal ailments.

Room heaters have been arranged in all the night houses for the big cats including tigers, leopards, cheetahs, and lions, and also in the primate night houses for inmates like baboons, chimpanzees, and lion-tailed macaques.

“Apart from room heaters, gunny bags are being used to cover night houses, wherever necessary. Wooden planks have also been kept on the ground,” said Nehru Zoological Park curator S. Rajashekar.

The night houses of reptiles are provided with dry leaves, bulbs, and small pots while aviaries are covered with green cloth. Nest boxes are set up, particularly for macaws and cockatoos, and similar birds that are sensitive to the weather.

For small monkeys, wooden boxes with dry paddy straw and a room heater in the night house are providing a reprieve from the cold weather. Similarly, the mouse deer breeding centre is covered with a green cloth on the outer side and provided with dry paddy straw.

According to the officials, air-conditioning will be stopped for animals throughout winter. In addition, animals and birds are being provided with B-Complex supplements.