Lockdown helps Hyderabad zoo animals cool off

HYDERABAD: Soon after the lockdown was imposed in the State, one of the most-visited destinations in the city — the Nehru Zoological Park — also became devoid of people. This has resulted in birds and animals in the zoo becoming more relaxed and responsive, said zoo authorities. However, like humans, there are some animals in the zoo who are also facing the lockdown blues.

Speaking to Express, Zoo Curator N Kshitija, said that initial observations show that most of the wild animals are now stress-free and enjoying the absence of visitors. “Sometimes, zoo visitors would illegally throw something at the animals or make noises to get their attention. With no visitors, it seems the stress factor among animals has reduced,” she said.

The Nehru Zoological Park has over 1,700 animals of various kinds. Explaining the changes observed in the big cats over the last fortnight, official said the animals are now more calm and active.“During one of our observation visits, a tiger, which was otherwise a little aggressive, remained mostly calm. We even saw him posing for the camera,” Kshitija said. “Previously, peacocks, deer and some specific birds that were rarely seen during the day are also venturing out more often.”

Unfortunately, not all the animals in the zoo are enjoying the current lockdown. Officials claimed that several primates are showing signs of loneliness. “Primates, like humans, crave company, nearly as much as food,” said Kshitija.

In the last month, many animals, including tigers, have given birth. This has nothing to do with the lockdown as these animals were pregnant way before the lockdown started, officials said.
Talking about the increased measures taken in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, special sanitation drives are being taken in the zoo. The Central Zoo Authority is also monitoring animals to detect Covid symptoms such as cough, cold and nasal discharge.