In the wake of the cyclone ‘Nisarga’, all the animal inmates of Byculla zoo were shifted to holding areas/night shelters to keep them safe from damages that could have occurred due of heavy rainfall and strong winds, on Wednesday. A zoo emergency response team was put on alert to avoid any untoward incident, officials said.
Since the city has been experiencing rain, authorities at the Veermata Jijabai Udyan, also popularly known as Byculla Zoo, took all steps to protect the animals against the rough weather and avoid any damage due to tree falls etc. "All the animals, birds and even reptiles have been shifted to the holding areas. Animals are very sensitive to disasters and calamities like cyclones and they can immediately sense something is going on," said Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of Veermata Jijabai Udyan and Zoo
“The holding areas/night shelters are safe to avoid any damage from tree fall. A 20-member zoo emergency response team, comprising animal keepers, gardener and tree-trimming and security staff, was put on alert to tackle any untoward incident,” Tripathi said.
Officials are keeping a watch on the animal enclosures with the help of CCTVs installed in the premises, he added.
Zoo animals usually have at least two areas where they are housed- the holding area and the exhibit area. During visiting hours, zoo animals are housed in their exhibit area. In the morning, before the zoo opens, they move into the holding area/night shelters for husbandry care and to receive food. " "However, we moved them early to their holding areas to ensure they are safe if at all the cyclone makes landfall in Mumbai. We have been taking extra precautions towards animal care post lockdown. Most of our staff has been living within the zoo for the past one-and-a-half month, to avoid contracting an infection while travelling to and fro," added Tripathi.
Total 25 staff members including zoo curator and veterinarians have been living within the zoo premises for the past one-and-a-half month to ensure safety and take care of the health of the animal. "Thanks to our staff and their dedicated, animals are doing well. As our staff stayed within the zoo premises, hence even during the lockdown, we managed well due to this," Tripathi said.
