Conservation
- Water management
The zoo requires about 600,000 litres (160,000 USgal) of water per day for drinking, bathing animals, cleaning enclosures, and keeping the areas around them cool, much of which comes from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD). The remainder comes from 13 open wells, 5 borewells and the Otteri lake within the zoo premises. In 2011, the zoo started constructing rainwater harvesting systems, including small bunds and check dams, to store water during the monsoon that would otherwise be lost. Three troughs and a checkdam have already been constructed in the safari to help store the natural runoff from the nearby hillock.
- Power management
As of 2012, the zoo uses a lone 100-kV generator to meet the power shortage. The zoo has proposed to buy another 100-kV generator at a cost of ₹ 800,000.
In 2011, to save power and increase safety, solar powered lights were installed in 14 enclosures at the park at a cost of ₹ 200,000. The lion safari (old and new) and enclosures for white tigers, panthers, bears, hyenas, chimpanzee, a pair of lions, jackal, wild dog, owl, sloth bear, and brown bear are lit by solar power for about three hours every evening. Each system includes a solar panel and a 250-kv battery connected to a 33-volt bulb and can supply power for up to 8 hours.
- Heat management
The soaring temperature in Chennai, especially during summer, demands extra care for residents of the zoo. Fortunately, the temperature inside the zoo campus is a couple of degrees lower than outside any time of the year, primarily due to the lush greenery. The park also maintains an exclusive summer management schedule. All animal enclosures have thatched roofs and fresh river sand spread on the floor to make it cooler for the animals. Water is sprinkled on the sand to provide extra cooling. Roofs of water birds' enclosures are covered with coconut leaves and wet gunny bags. Caves that are exposed directly to the sun are put under a shower twice a day. The enclosure for the king cobra has an air conditioner in order to provide an environment similar to its natural habitat as the species cannot withstand the summer heat. For birds, the topmost part of the cage is covered with jute bags, and water is sprinkled three times a day. Based on the temperature, cucumber, buttermilk, apple and banana are also served to herbivores. The zoo has also set up sprinklers to help animals beat the summer heat and is planning to set up about 20 more sprinklers at the deer safari.
In 2011, to increase the green cover, the forest department initiated to plant 25,000 saplings in the zoo.
Read more about this topic: Arignar Anna Zoological Park
Famous quotes containing the word conservation:
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—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
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