Sambalpur (Odisha), April 2 As the summer season arrived, authorities at the Sambalpur Zoo here have made special arrangements, such as placing large ice cubes and air coolers for the animals, an official said.
DFO, Hirakud Wildlife Division, Anshu Pragyan said that to protect the animals, air coolers are being installed in the enclosures of bears and leopards to help the animals stay cool during the daytime.
All 28 animal enclosures have been provided with bamboo sheds and thatched roofs, and water holes have been created in all enclosures to keep the animals cool, the DFO said, adding that water is being sprinkled on the thatched roof sheds during the daytime.
"We have placed air coolers in the enclosures of leopards and bears," she said, adding that the animals are also given a special summer diet, including glucose, ORS, honey, and other electrolytes, along with water, to keep them hydrated.
Fruits with high water content, such as watermelon, sugarcane, cucumber, papaya, grapes, tomatoes, and "salads," are now being given to the animals, the DFO said.
Bird enclosures are being covered with green nets and thatched bamboo to reduce the heat entering them. The newly created Orchidarium, with 101 species, and the rose garden are also being watered with green nets.
Now that blackbucks and hogdeers have been added to the Sambalpur Zoo, along with the orchidarium, rose garden, and nocturnal house, arrangements have also been made for them, the official said.
As the zoo witnesses a footfall of around 1,000 visitors during the summer holidays, arrangements are also made for them. Storytelling sessions in the zoo are also a major attraction for visitors, the DFO said.
The Sambalpur Zoo houses 18 varieties of 350 animals in 28 enclosures.
These include bears, leopards, blackbucks, chowsingha, hogdeers, sambar deer, deer, monkeys, barking deer, pythons, mongooses, palm civets, colourful birds like cockatiels, budgerigars, peacocks, and others.