THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shravan, the celebrity inmate at the city zoo, is having a roaring vacation ever since visitors were banned at the facility as part of Covid-19 restrictions. The nine-year-old white tiger now takes longer strolls than before, roars and growls more often announcing his presence to the world around. Not just Shravan, almost all the inmates are expressing more of their basic instincts which show that they are happy in the new setting, says Dr Jacob Alexander, senior veterinary surgeon and chief veterinarian of the zoo.
“Usually, it is quite noisy here since the zoo is bang in the middle of the city, surrounded by busy roads. It seems the newly-experienced quiet ambience is encouraging the otherwise shy animals and birds to make more noise than before. Obviously, they are enjoying it, which is a heartening sight for us,” he said.
The city zoo, one of the oldest in the country, is home to over 150 animal and bird species. About 62 species of free flying birds and nearly 104 butterfly species were also reported from the zoological park.
The enclosure of water birds has become very lively and the avians glide around more frequently, according to Jacob Alexander. “Earlier, they were seen flying after the feeding at noon and in the evening. Now, they are moving around all the time,” he said.
Precautions
The city zoo was the first in the country to ban entry of visitors on March 13, said S Abu, director, Zoos and Museums. “Special care is being taken to prevent the Covid transmission to animals. Staff have to undergo thermal scanning before entering the campus. Besides sanitising hands and legs, they are asked to don protective gear and keep maximum distance from the animals,” he said.
The institution had an efficient safety protocol for long which helped prevent disease outbreaks during the past seven years, Jacob Alexander said. “The safety measures are revised as per the epidemic intelligence reports from the state and central governments. Foot bath, sanitisation of legs with disinfectants, was compulsory for visitors and staff. Vehicle tyres were sanitised before being allowed entry inside the campus. The disinfectants used would vary with the intelligence report,” he said.
The veterinarian said the zoo had been successful in remaining insulated against the foot-and-mouth disease in the past 12 years. The safety measures have been enhanced after a tiger at New York’s Bronx Zoo tested positive for Covid-19, he said. “Keepers’ interaction with animals has been brought to the minimum. Galleries, from where food is supplied to the animals, is regularly sanitised with disinfectants,” he said.