Zoo enclosures to simulate natural habitats

HYDERABAD: To ensure privacy and recreate a natural wildlife setting for birds and animals in the zoos, the AP Zoo Authority is working on giving a new look to animal enclosures and landscapes.The main reason behind reconstructing of enclosures is for enrichment of habitat for animals and upgrade administration of zoos, including interpretation centres and animal research educational centres. “We have been reconstructing animal enclosures as per the natural habitat of a particular wild animal,” said M Mallikarjuna Rao, AP Zoos director. He further added, “Interpretation centres would be set up in zoos and guideline maps and hand books on animals would be distributed to visitors along with tickets from next month.”In enclosures of Royal Bengal and white tigers and Asiatic lions, artificial dens are being constructed with big wooden logs and rocks kept to bring the maximum forest atmosphere in the enclosures. “In enclosures of chimpanzees and bears, along with wooden logs, aerial roots are being arranged as chimpanzees prefer to swing on trees and bears like to play with them,” said S Ramesh, assistant curator of Hyderabad zoo. As to birds’ enclosures, strong wooden branches are being arranged along with small huts where birds can lay eggs and tend to them before hatching. Another feature of the modernisation of zoos is that two to three sides of enclosures would be closed to give privacy to animals and the gap between enclosure and visitors’ path expanded. G Ramalingam, curator of the Visakhapatnam zoo said, “The work was started a month ago to modernise the animal enclosures and 90 per cent of work has been completed.” The three curators of the Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad zoos have prepared a master plan for enhancement of zoos by following CZA guidelines. “We have prepared a 20-year master plan for sustainable enhancement of zoo animals, administration and visitors. In the plan, the conservation of zoos and animals defined through detailed consultation,” said Ramalingam.However, state zoos are still under-staffed. “In the three zoos of Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, 24 posts of animal caretakers and others are yet to be filled,” said the Zoo director. Since 1999, the Zoo Authority have not recruited for any posts, though there is a ten percent increase in number of animals every year in the zoos.