Zoo declared as ‘essential services’

NZP is completely sanitised and anti-viral sprays are also being used

With the entire country in the grip of a serious Coronavirus crisis, the Central Zoo Authority has said that it is time to declare zoo in the country as ‘essential services’.

Declaration of zoo under this category will enable them to function fully and normally under the current lockdown restrictions imposed across the country by respective state governments.

Declaration of zoo under this category will enable them to function fully and normally under the current lockdown restrictions imposed across the country by respective state governments.

The state government has already declared the Telangana Forest

Department as an essential service and thereby the NZP Nehru Zoological Park that functions as part of the Forest Department too received the status, though not formally.

With the zoo closed as part of the government's lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19 disease, the forest department has written to the director-general of police and city commissioner of police to issue instructions to police personnel to allow zoo staff to travel from home to the zoo on work and on other assigned duties as required.

According to some of the zoo staff, by and large there is no problem with the police allowing them to go to work, since they have emergency duty passes. But sometimes they are

● THE STATE government has already declared the Telangana Forest Department as an essential service and thereby the NZP (Nehru Zoological Park ) that functions as part of the Forest Department too received the status, though not formally.

questioned.

“Sometimes they are asked why the need to go to work at the zoo during the lockdown. The thing is we need people like electricians, carpenters, our own animal keepers, veterinary staff and others. The cages need cleaning every day, animals need to be fed and checked for their health,” NZP curator N. Kshitija said.

“Every day we need deliveries of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as meat for the animals and birds. Emergency duty passes have been issued for 14 vehicles and we have asked the suppliers to deliver these materials to meet the needs for up to three days at a time as we have cold storage facilities. As far as grains and dry foods are concerned, we have already made preparations to ensure there is no shortage in the zoo,” Ms Kshitija said.

In a worst-case scenario, the zoo can manage for a couple of days supplying animals with fresh green leaves from its mulberry and other trees, and grass from the lawns. But supplies of fresh grass are much-needed for many of the herbivores in the zoo.

“We started our preparations about a month ago with the news on Covid-19 and the importance of ensuring health of all wild animals in the zoo. We first completed a full health check on all our inmates,” Ms Kshitija said.

Before the zoo was locked down, its staff and workers were issued hand sanitizers, masks and additional rations of soaps to ensure that they maintain proper hygiene.

“With thousands of people coming to the zoo, we tried to make sure our staff had what is needed to protect them,” she added.

The Nehru zoological park has also been completely sanitised all its vehicles and also antiviral spray has been used in all public areas.