Those animals that have been taken away from the wild and housed in man-made replications of their natural habitat are susceptible to the vagaries of nature and hence, more dependent upon their masters for their survival, writes Farooq Qureshi
With rising temperature and the earth scorched with intense heat, the summer is steadily on its way to achieving a greater intensity. like all other seasons, the summers too can prove detrimental if necessary precautions are given a go-by.
Not just human beings, the flora and fauna of land and sea alike are vulnerable to the season's harshness. Wild animals have a peculiar quality of adapting to and adopting their surroundings, including the changes in climatic conditions.
However, those animals that have been taken away from the wild and housed in man-made replications of the wild are susceptible to the vagaries of nature and hence, more dependent upon their masters for their survival. Team Viva takes a look at the arrangements that are in place for the animals here, especially for those in the well-known Van Vihar National Park.
Deputy Director of Van Vihar National Park, Sudesh Waghmare, said that modifications are made in the diet and shelter of the animals during summers. Coolers are installed and green-coloured veils are used to cover the shelters to save the animals from heat stroke.
During the peak summer season, in the month of May, water becomes the most important means to save the animals from intense heat, he added.
However, these special arrangements become a considerable strain on the Van Vihar management as no extra fund is provided for the special arrangements which have to be made with the existing budget even without curtailing the routine expenses.
Among the different species of animals housed at Van Vihar, 95 per cent have grown in number in due course of time. Only Cheetals have decreased due to the rise in number of jackals which prey upon the baby Cheetals. Except the number of Cheetals, the number of herbivores like Sambhar, Blackbuck and Blue Bull has increased.
Indigestion is a big problem among animals in the summer season. The intense heat conditions prevent free movement of the animals and they tend to take shelter in shades. This tendency affects their digestive processes.
Carnivores like tiger, lion and panther eat around 6 to 8 kg of mutton but in the summer season, due to indigestion, they consume about 1 kg less.
For herbivores, green fodder and mineral mixture is provided. In the National Park, 3-4 places are earmarked where green fodder is provided.
Ranger of the Safari Van Vihar, Vijay Shrivastava, said the primary role of the team is to monitor the carnivores, but other animals are also monitored by them. Special care is required for those animals which are not easily adapted or are unsuited to the intense heat condition. Himalayan bear is one of such specie which requires utmost care during the summer season.
The natural habitat of Himalayan bear is chilling cold conditions and for it to face the intense heat condition is a big problem. For saving the bear from these conditions, ice-bars are kept in the shelter and even the food is served on ice bars. Water fountain is kept open for several hours to maintain low temperature in the shelter. The diet plan is also altered and watermelon and grapes are included in the diet. These fruits are given three times a day. Seasonal fruits too are included in the diet, he added.
Shrivastava said an NGO had arranged a veterinary doctor who monitors the Himalayan bear round-the-clock throughout the year. The NGO is bearing all the expenses on the Himalayan bear.
The sloth bear faces similar problems during the season because of its long and dense hairs and black colour. Watermelon is given to them too and water is sprinkled in the shelter. But to handle the sloth bear during the season is less taxing than that for the Himalayan Bear. Bears are given milk, vegetables and fruits to make the diet balanced.
The other animal which requires extreme care is the tortoise which is given juicy tomatos and green leafy vegetables.
Veterinary officer (wild life), Van Vihar National Park, Dr Atul Gupta said dehydration was the biggest problem faced by the animals during summers.
The older animals are more prone to such disorders and currently the Van Vihar has a large number of animals in this category.
Meals are given three times a day. In the morning, around 8-8.30, the first meal is served. The next meal is given around 12-1 pm and the last one around 3-4 pm. This schedule is maintained strictly to save them from indigestion.
Providing the details of diseases, Gupta said there was no specific disease of the season. Heat strokes and dehydration, however, have been reported among all animals of Van Vihar.
But problems can arise if it rains at the end of the summer season or if rains occur during the season. The chances of bacterial infection increases as rain and humidity are favourable to bacterial growth.
In the intense heat conditions, due to excessive sweating, huge amount of water is lost and along with water the body loses salt. loss of both salt and water leads to dehydration and to overcome the problem, water holes are filled with water and they are kept filled round-the-clock.
Apart from the water, salt lick is provided which becomes an essential part of the food provided to herbivores. Salt lick is a mix of salt and minerals which help the animals balance essential salts in the body. By licking the salt lick, the deficiency of water and salts can be fulfilled by the animals.
During the summer season, more visitors are witnessed during the evenings and to encourage more visitors, the visiting hours of Van Vihar are extended by an hour.
Van Vihar National Park provides a rich experience of wild life in man-made habitat and gives better understanding of wild animals, but to conserve these animals is a challenging task.
The precautionary steps taken by Van Vihar management are appropriate and adequate arrangements are made to save the animals at Van Vihar from the tough weather conditions.