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Cooling off measures for animals too

— Photo: T.Singaravelou

Beating the heat: A snake sits inside a mud pot filled with water on the Forest Department premises in Puducherrry.

PUDUCHERRY: With the mercury level soaring, it is just not human beings who face the pangs of summer but also animals. To provide respite this season, the Forest Department has put in place summer care programme for the animals.

With summer preparedness schedule on, the Department is also providing a cool diet for the animals. This, according to officials, would help the animals overcome the heat and stay healthy during the season.

“We have already put up a thatched shed within the enclosures for the deer. This will keep the surroundings cool for the animals,” Agriculture Officer of the Forest Department K. Siva Shanmugham said.

Share nets, which are usually found in nurseries, have also been put up around the enclosures. “We sprinkle water on it every day. The nets prevent direct sunlight into the enclosures and thereby gives a cooling effect,” he said. The Department has around 17 deer, seven jackals, seven peacocks, two barn owls, two eagles, a wild cat and a python.

Even for snakes mud pots with water are kept inside the enclosures. The snakes stay inside the pots for some time, he added.

Similar facilities have been made for jackals too with bigger pots of water kept in enclosures. With the facilities for cool shelters, a healthy and appropriate diet for summer is also given for the animals. “Apart from the regular feed, we give a lot of grass for deer and this includes greens too. For peacocks, we give pieces of cucumber and cabbage. The other animals such as jackals are carnivores and so we carry out the regular diet,” Mr. Shanmugham said.

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