The Nandankanan Zoological Park authorities in Odisha have made special arrangements to keep its inmates cool with the mercury soaring in the state.

Animals are being provided with glucose, watermelon, sugar cane, banana, papaya, cucumbers, and other seasonal fruits with high water content to ward off any possibility of dehydration.

Bhubaneswar on Sunday recorded 39.6° Celsius.

In order to keep a temperature record near the enclosures, all-important enclosures have wall-hanging thermometers to record the maximum and minimum temperature of the day.

Birds relaxing in a pool inside the zoo. The Telegraph

“Staff of animal section to remain vigilant during peak hours of the day and inform the zoo hospital in case any behavioural change is noticed,” a senior zoo official said.

All water pools inside the zoo are covered with sheds to prevent water from getting heated. Roofs of feeding cells have been covered with straw to keep the cells cool.

“Sprinklers are being made available and operational in all carnivorous enclosures including tiger, lion, leopard, hyena, wolf, wild dog and Indian fox. Ice slabs and air coolers have been placed in the animal and bird enclosures and they are being regularly sprinkled with water.

“Water in the pools remain in running condition during peak hours of the day to keep the water cool,” zoo officials said.

Birds relaxing in a pool inside the zoo. The Telegraph

The officials maintained that the bear safari is provided with “bamboo tati” on the chain-link mesh roof top.

“Roof tops at bear safari enclosures have been covered with bamboo tati.

“Artificial sheds made up of bamboo tati to be provided at different locations of enclosure to allow the deer to take rest underneath,” officials said.

The zoo authorities have also made special arrangements for the chimpanzees of the zoo.

“Air coolers have been made available at Chimpanzee enclosure to be cleaned regularly with refilling of fresh water, and air coolers are provided to small exotic primates wherever necessary.

“At the chimpanzee enclosure, the roof of the feeding cell has been covered with straw, and the provision of a cantilever is being made to provide shade on the wall of the feeding cell.

“Exhibit area of Capuchin, Tamarin, marmoset and Squirrel monkeys are covered with bamboo tati,” officials said.

Chimpanzees are not being released to the exhibit area in case the temperature rises to more than 40˚C.

“We are adding electoral power, ice and glucose to the drinking water of the animals,” officials said.

“In crocodile, yellow anaconda and turtle enclosures, water in the pool is always in running condition during peak hours of the day. Sheds are provided at all crocodile enclosures and turtle enclosures so that water does not get heated.”

In the bird enclosures, water is sprinkled on side wall curtains, floors and rooftops by 8am every day.

“The emu and ostrich are given baths by spraying water on them during the early part of the day (i.e. before 10am),” officials said.

The zoo, which is ranked among one of the best in the country, houses nearly 4,000 types of animals and birds representing 161 species.

“Besides, we are keeping a watch on the movement of each animal through CCTVs,” said the official.

He added that nearly 15,000 visitors are still visiting the zoo during the summer.

The forest department in Odisha’s Ganjam district has taken steps to fill pits and saucer pits in the blackbuck habitat areas to quench the thirst of animals with most of the water sources drying up, adds PTI.