# Kolkata

Alipore zoo staff prepare to keep animals cool

In a bid to provide relief to the animals inside the Alipore Zoo from the sweltering heat, the zoo authorities…

Soumyadip Mullick | Kolkata | April 17, 2018 3:39 am

Alipore zoo staff prepare to keep animals cool

In a bid to provide relief to the animals inside the Alipore Zoo from the sweltering heat, the zoo authorities are taking several measures including installation of fans and coolsheds inside the enclosures while prescribing diets which are best suited for the summer season.

While the blistering summer heat during the day is leaving citizens gasping for breath, the animals are also not spared from the blazing sun. With the weather forecast predicting the rise of temperature in the next few days, the Alipore zoo authorities have started taking a series of measures to provide relief to the animals inside the enclosures.

Among the several measures, fans and cooling sheds are being installed inside the enclosures while water bodies are being broadened to let the animals take a dip to beat the heat. Straw coverings are being installed on top of the enclosures to keep the inmates cool.

Talking to The Statesman, the director of the Alipore Zoological Garden, Mr Ashis Kumar Samanta, said: “We are installing straw sheds on top the cages which will help block the sun rays and pave way for a cooler temperature inside the enclosure. At the same time, we are also sprinkling water inside the bird enclosures that will also help in cooling the temperature inside.”

Adding to these, Mr Samanta said: “We have installed table fans inside the tiger enclosures and snake enclosures inside the ‘Reptile House’. These fans have been installed in addition to the exhaust fans that already exist. We are also bathing the animals to help them maintain a lower body temperature during the hot daytime.”

“Water bodies inside the animal and birds enclosures have been broadened. The pachyderms meanwhile are wallowing in the mud and covering themselves with it to beat the heat. A similar trait could also be observed in deer who are doing the same to keep themselves cool,” said Mr Samanta.