The authorities of the Van Vihar National Park in the State capital are making special arrangements to provide the animals with much needed relief from the extreme summer heat. Extreme summer heat has prompted zoo authorities to take special measures to provide animals with much needed relief. Apart from installing water coolers and filling water holes, curtains have been put up outside the cages of the animals to limit the heat coming in.
Van Vihar National Park director BPS Parihar while talking to The Pioneer, said, "If we don't take these safety measures during the summer, it will definitely increase the mortality rate of the animals. If we see most of the animals here, their life span has increased since they were brought to the zoo. For example, a tiger which dies at 12 or 13 years in the wild, lives up to 15, 16 even 20 years here in the zoo."
Visitors to the zoo watched with interest as the animals came out and cooled off in water holes. A visitor Parveen Sheikh said, "We just came back from seeing a tiger playing in the water hole. The animals feel the heat as much as we do." The authorities are also feeding plenty of liquids and seasonal fruits to the animals. They are also being fed water with minerals and vitamins to prevent dehydration.
Many animals, including lions, stay inside during the day time to escape the scorching sun outside. A veterinarian said, Summers bring a lot of change in the animal behaviour. The hair coat sheds off and because of the temperature rise, they often pant and salivate. Their metabolism also increases. To make sure they cope up with these changes, their menu should be altered and the required medicines should also be administered to them.