Fires, green nets to help Vadodara Zoo animals beat the cold

Bonfires to raise temperatures and green nets to block cold winds are the solutions deployed at the civic-run Sayaji Baug Zoo in Gujarat's Vadodara city to protect 1,271 animals and birds there, a senior official said on Saturday.

The zoo, spread over 45 acres, is situated close to the Vishwamitri River, and the winds emanating from there increase the chill in a city already battling a cold wave over the past few days, the official said.

"Bonfires have been lit near leopard, tiger and lion enclosures Green nets have been installed around cages to protect animals and birds. Special food is being prepared to help these animals maintain body temperature," said Vadodara Municipal Corporation Commissioner Nalin Upadhyay.

"The green net blocks the cold wind and it is helpful to birds. Zoo animals are worst affected by temperature change as they have been displaced from their natural habitat and kept in places where the temperature might not be ideal for them," said Zoo Curator Pratyush Patankar.