Scorching heat with soaring temperature amid poor power scenario puts life tough this summer across Dhanbad and Bokaro districts. People stayed indoors due to the sizzling condition though the mercury touched about 43 degrees Celsius in duo districts.
The blistering wind makes everything worse; also leads to distress, fully or partially among the animals. But the animals at Jawaharlal Nehru Biological Park at Bokaro Steel City are still feeling comfortable, in spite of the mercury reaches up to 41-42 degree Celsius. The Zoo’s menu card has taken an organic turn with water rich and summer coolants foods like watermelon, sugarcane, papaya, green mango, cucumbers and bananas and many more to minimise the effect of sunstroke for herbivorous, said the zoo authority.
With the new roughage-rich diet the zoo authorities are apparently confident that the animals are ready to face the blazing sun and scorching summer.
Moreover, to make things better for them giving the cool effect from scorching heat special fabricated shades and water pools, have been constructed in the big cages where lion, tiger, leopard, panthers are kept to keep the wild animals cool and feed them with regular supply of drinking water and early food before 10 am in the morning.
Besides, water sprinklers have been put in cages and tanks are being filled daily with cold water. The zoo authorities have also made special medication arrangements for animals along with birds to provide extra anti-stress medication to prevent them from dehydration and stress.
“The Park is a centre of excellence which is also imparting education silently within a radius of 50 km.” said the park authorities. The zoo, which is maintained by Bokaro steel plant, is the only place where one can come and study a lot about nature, plants and animals within two hours of visit. Though, water worries have already begun plaguing among the residents of the twin districts. Hard hit by depleted water level, residents are forced to buy water at any cost to save their lives. “Water has already begun to be sold at `15 to `25 per gallon in different parts of the districts”, said Vinod a resident of Chas in Bokaro.