Chennai: Two students of Mop Vaishnav in Chennai, Meenakshi and Aparna, became Citizen Journalists for CNN-IBN and decided to visit the Vandaloor Zoo in Chennai to find out just how the animals are coping with the heat.
It's summer time and Kukko, the chimpanzee, cools himself with a shower. For Kukko and his three other companions, who are the latest addition in the Anna Zoological Park, lassi, water melons and cucumber form part of their diet this summer.
Says K P M Perrumahl, Director and Chief Conservator of forests, "We are providing them with sprinklers so that the animals remain cool. Wet ghanni bags are also placed on top of the cages for birds. The king cobra is kept in an air conditioned room because it can't withstand heat."
For animals that already love being in water, it is a season for enjoyment. For example, Vamburi, the 8-year-old hippo, stays in the water until the Sun sets and the atmosphere becomes cool.
Though the statistics show that there has been a decrease in the temperature this year, the authorities of the park don't want to take any chances. They want to make sure the animals are kept in a cool environment.
However, the meteorological department says there might be a fluctuation in the temperature anytime. Says S R Ramanan, Director, Met Dept, "We forecast the temperature only for the next 24 hours. People should be prepared for the worst."
With the south-west monsoons on its course, Kukko and his companions may just be hoping that they won't need the artificial sprinklers for long.
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