Heaters, Blankets Placed Inside Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoo To Protect Animals From Winter Chill

Bhubaneswar: With cold wave sweeping Odisha and the night temperature dropping below 15 degree Celsius in Odisha Capital, special arrangements have been made at Nandankanan Zoological Park, on the city outskirts, to help the zoo inmates beat the winter blues.

According to sources, the zoo authorities have placed room heaters in enclosures of chimpanzees, hoolock gibbons, marmosets, tamarins and some other species of monkeys. Blankets, straw-made mattresses, heating pads and infrared bulbs have also been provided to keep reptiles like anacondas, pythons, Burmese pythons, king cobras, and cobras warm in their respective enclosures.

“Anacondas, pangolin, Chimpanzees and aviary species are particularly susceptible to harsh weather. Since snakes reduce their food intake during winter, the temperature conditions of the enclosure are adjusted to ensure that they are not affected by the cold wave,” said Nandankanan ACF Ramshmi Ranjan Swain.

The ACF added that 40 and 100 watt bulbs have been put up at bird enclosures, which are also being covered with thick nylon nets during the night.