As the scorching summer approaches, the animals are also feeling a pinch of the heat. The authorities of Surat’s Sarthana Nature Park and Zoo have taken precautionary measures to keep zoo inmates cool.
The zoo authorities have put in place a series of special arrangements to keep the animals hydrated, including coolers, sprinklers, and water tanks, as well as dietary changes.
The diet plan has been modified to include multivitamin foods and seasonal summer foods. Seasonal fruits with higher water intake have been added to their diet to keep the animals hydrated.
Personal water tanks have been installed in the enclosures of tigers, lions, and bears. To keep the cages cool, sprinklers have been installed in each one.
Heena Patel, an official of the zoo authority, said that there’s not much of heat yet because of trees in the zoo. The animals stay cool inside the cages, with extra arrangements are made for them.
“We have placed water tanks in cages, every 3-4 hours they are refilled with cold water. There are sprinklers and coolers in every cage. We have to maintain the diet for the birds, extra vitamins and minerals are provided to them to keep them healthy and control dehydration. Emu and Ostrich birds need to take baths every few hours. So we give them bath with cold water,” said Heena.
Sarthana Nature Park is situated in the North-East corner of Surat and is about 10 km from the city. The zoo has around 20 species of animals, including the lion-tailed Macaque, Black Buck and Himalayan Bear. There are 16 species of birds and around five species of reptiles.
In the past week, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 42 degrees.