The inhabitants of the Bengal Safari Park near here have new menus nowadays so that they remain healthy and fit during the winter.

Added to it, heaters have been placed in the enclosures of some animals at the facility at Fifth Mile with the mercury dropping below 10 degrees Celsius.

“We have made some special arrangements for all animals and birds at the park as the temperature is remaining low these days in Siliguri and the surrounding areas. We are providing special diets to them and have also arranged for heaters in some of their shelters to keep them warm and fit,” said Kamal Sarkar, the park’s director.

The park is a one-of-a-kind facility where visitors can watch animals of different species in open enclosures. As the park is located in the foothills and at a deserted location, it remains colder compared to Siliguri and other towns in the sub-Himalayan Bengal.

The park has tigers, deer, leopards, gharials (fish-eating crocodiles), elephants, rhinos, Asiatic black bears, and birds of different species which are kept in an open-air aviary.

“These days, the minimum temperature in Siliguri is around nine degrees Celsius. It is around two or three degrees lower at the park,” said a source.

According to Sarkar, the heating system is introduced in the night shelters of royal Bengal tigers and leopards. “The diets prepared for them these days are rich in proteins so that they can sustain the cold,” said Sarkar.

The park authorities have started feeding carnivores beef and buff on all days. Otherwise, mutton and chicken form the daily diet of the tigers and leopards and they get to feast on beef and buff occasionally.

“For the 300-odd deer, we are serving cooked wheat, maize and vegetables. The food is served in the enclosure to ensure that the animals eat without any inconvenience,” the director said.

On warmer days, the herbivores are generally fed grass and leaves.

To perk the avian species up, a protein diet has been added to their menu.

In the past few years, the park emerged as one of the popular tourist destinations in north Bengal. On January 1, the facility registered a footfall of over 5,500 visitors.

Considering the immense popularity of the destination, the park authorities are planning to bring in lions, zebras and giraffes to draw more visitors.

“A number of other attractions, including rides and adventure sports activities, have been initiated at the park. These facilities draw many youngsters here,” said an official.