BHUBANESWAR: The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) has got a new facility to take care of wild animal cubs that are deserted by their mothers at birth, more efficiently. The facility called ‘Nursery for hand-rearing of animal babies’ was inaugurated by forest and environment minister Pradip Kumar Amat on the zoo’s 63rd foundation day.
Zoo authorities said the special baby care centre, a first-of-its-kind, has been set up at an investment of Rs 10 lakh for bottle feeding and upkeep of animal babies rejected by their mothers during birth or having health-related issues. The zoo also receives orphaned and rescued wild animal babies from across the state on a regular basis for hand-raising and rehabilitation.
The nursery has a facility for animal keepers to stay on its premises for the rearing of newborns who need special attention round-the-clock. The air-conditioned facility also has a milk preparation area, neo-natal ICU and separate cells for carnivores, herbivores and primate babies. The centre is attached to five small closed paddocks where the animal babies can play, exercise and have direct access to sunlight. The zoo has already received accolades for hand rearing of cubs of tigers and lions.
The new facility will boost the zoo’s efforts in hand rearing of animal babies and cubs, said Amat. Apart from the nursery, a state-of-the-art operation theatre for the treatment of zoo inmates and a children’s park spread over 16,000 sq ft area was inaugurated. The ‘slender-tailed meerkat’ species was also released in the enclosure to mark the foundation day.