In view of the prevailing heat across Odisha surpassing 40° Centigrade, the Nandankanan Zoological Park and other animal welfare outfits have started providing relief to animals in captivity from the searing heat
POST NEWS NETWORK
Bhubaneswar: Keeping in mind the ‘heat wave-like’ conditions prevailing across Odisha, sev- eral activists and organizations including the Nandankanan Zoo authorities have launched providing relief to animals in cages and captivity. Special measures have been taken to make the animals ‘comfortable’ in the searing heat. Nandankanan deputy direc- tor Jayanta Das said provision of water has been made available to all enclosures to keep the an- imals hydrated due to mount- ing temperature in the past couple of weeks.
“We have built sheds within the enclosure by heaping blocks of ice on them to create artificial water bodies and arranged sprinklers to regulate heat. Instructions have been issued by the authorities to provide water round-the-clock in all animal enclosures.
The water laced with medicine is provided to prevent dehydration in the an- imals and people were strictly prohibited to visit the enclosures to reduce stress on the creatures,” Das added.
Senior veterinarian Anil Kumar Das said extra care is being taken to feed the animals with appropriate food such as water lemons, sugarcane, co- conut and banana among other things that help maintain their body temperature. Air coolers have been installed in the enclosures of Chimps. But elephants, tigers and lions are comfortable lazing in the ponds created in their enclosures. Several animal lovers and wel- fare outfits are doing their bit to give relief to stray animals in the city.
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The Animal Welfare Trust- Ekamra (AWTE) has launched a programme – Boond – under which huge cement water tubs have been installed for the stray animals in the city to drink water. “We are also making special nests for birds on the trees where we provide water mixed with glucose powder to save them from dehydration,” said Puravi Patra, founder of AWTE. Kumar Biswas of ‘Speaks for Animals’ said Summer is tough for everybody and animals had to face tougher situations be- cause they can’t speak or show their distress.