Heatwave kills 31 animals in zoos across India in last 3 yrs: Min

Thirty-one animals have died due to scorching heat in zoos across the country in the last three years, Minister of State (MoS) for Environment Babul Supriyo informed Lok Sabha on Friday.

Responding to a query on the number of animal deaths in zoos due to heatwave, he said maximum deaths were recorded in Andhra Pradesh with 13 animals succumbing to heatwave.

According to data shared by the minister, Andhra Pradesh was followed by Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh which saw five and four animal deaths, respectively.

Other states where the deaths took place include Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, he said.

Five animals died due to scorching heat in 2018-19, the minister said.

On being asked about the preventive measures being taken by the government in this regard, Supriyo said as per provision of the Schedule 5(4) of Rule 10 under the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, all the zoos have been advised to provide feeding cells to serve as indoor enclosures for animals during extreme weather conditions.

"Disaster/contingency management plan is prepared for each zoo as part of its master plan. It includes specific measures to be adopted during extreme weather conditions. The Central Zoo Authority in association with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, developed protocol on Zoo Animal Health Management. It includes seasonal measures to be adopted by zoos," the minister said.