Surat Zoo makes special arrangements to keep animals cool this heatwave

Keepers at Surat’s Sarthana Nature Park and Zoo are hard at work making extra arrangements to maintain the confined animals‘ environment bearable.

According to ANI, coolers and sprinklers have been installed in enclosures to keep the wild animals cool, as well as a revamped nutritional plan that includes water-rich fruits, multivitamin food, and seasonal meals.

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The severe summer heat seemed to have already begun, despite the fact that it is only April. Ahmedabad already surpassed 40 degrees last week as a result of the recent heatwave, which affected numerous places in Gujarat, including Surat, which reached 42 degrees last week and 41 degrees on March 30.

In the midst of an unusually hot summer, zookeepers at Surat’s Sarthana Nature Park and Zoo are scrambling to take extra measures to keep the confined animals comfortable.

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Large animals, such as bears, lions, and tigers, also have personal water tanks to suit their hydration needs.

“There are sprinklers and coolers in every cage.

“We have to maintain the diet for the birds, extra vitamins and minerals are provided to them to keep them healthy and control dehydration. Emu and Ostrich birds need to take baths every few hours. So we give them (a) bath with cold water.”

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The zoo, on the other hand, is quite cool so far, owing to the shade and other ecosystem services given by the zoo’s trees.

Sarthana Nature Park is around 10 kilometres from the city centre and is located in the northeast part of Surat. The zoo is home to a broad range of species, including the blackbuck, Himalayan bear, and lion-tailed macaque, as well as 16 bird species and a few reptiles.