TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has allocated over Rs 2 crore to the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park for the construction of Nocturnal Animals Enclosure project. The project is progressing at a brisk pace and nearing completion. The plan is to house 18 types of nocturnal animals and birds, including bats, jungle cats, slender loris, porcupine, three types of owls etc, has begun in right earnest.
Interiors in the enclosure are such that nights are lit up by floodlights and daytime would be turned into night. Artificial setup and designs play a key role, zoo curator M Babitha said. The aim was to give a natural feel to the animals and birds. Punugu oil, civet oil and other extracts of rare wild animals are used during abhishekam of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala.
The TTD dairy management has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Forest department to hand over all the nocturnal wild animals and birds in its possession. As per the MoU, the TTD will spend over Rs 2 crore and hand over the nocturnal animals and birds to SV Zoological Park.
When contacted, Tirupati Wildlife Circle Chief Conservator of Forests Saravanan said that efforts would be made to keep a lot of bushes in the cages of the nocturnal wild animals so that they can hide behind them and sleep as they do in the forests.” The SV Zoo Park Nocturnal Centre has allotted 18 cells to 18 different species given to them by the TTD. According to zoo officials, each species can house at least three animals.
Punugu Thailam
Civet oil, called Punugu Thailam in Telugu, is a popular ingredient used in all major and rich temples in South India. At the Srirangam temple in Trichy, civet oil is used to clean the stone idol during the Ashada Masam when the temple is closed for a month. Similarly, Punugu Thailam is used at Sri Krishna temple in Udupi, Jagannath Temple in Puri, Lakshmi temple in Kolhapur and also at the Simhachalam temple near Vizag. All these temples buy Punugu Thailam in bulk from the marketThe use of Punugu Thailam enhances the divine charm of the deity