This story is from March 25, 2020

Animals relieved as this zoo in Tamil Nadu shut for visitors

The animals and birds at the Vandalur zoo have never been seen in such a relaxed mood, say their keepers.
Animals relieved as this zoo in Tamil Nadu shut for visitors
Vandalur Zoo
CHENNAI: The animals and birds at the Vandalur zoo have never been seen in such a relaxed mood, say their keepers.
From K Chellaiah, who is in charge of the white tigers’ enclosure, to M Nagammal, who takes care of the enclosures for deer and the regular tigers, almost every staff member says life for the animals has been most peaceful since March 17 when the zoo was shut over Covid-19 fears.

This is the second time the facility has been closed for a long time. The first time was from January 23 to February 23 in 2002, when a wild leopard strayed into the zoo and the authorities trapped it after a month.
The present situation, though comfortable for the animals, could prove costly for the zoo in terms of revenue, say officials. They, however, admit that the behaviour of the visitors, some of them unruly, causes a lot of strain for the animals.
From 9.45am, when the gates are opened and the first visitors stream in, to when the zoo is closed, the animals are subjected to almost continuous noise. Some try to get as close to the enclosures as possible to take selfies; others shout and clap to draw the attention of the animals. A few others even throw stones at the animals, sometimes hurting them and causing a lot of stress. All this, says
renowned veterinarian N Kalaivanan, leads to loss of natural behaviour for animals and their stress levels go up.

A good example is the Sariska reserve in Rajasthan where the huge number of vehicles affected the reproductive system of tigers and their numbers in Central India fell significantly, he said.
“When animals in captivity are not disturbed, their wild behaviour is restored. Their physiological behaviour is also good and helps in better functioning of their reproductive system,” he said.
Now, Chelliah says, with no visitors to disturb them, the white tigers have been frolicking with their cubs happily.
Nagammal agrees and says the sambar deer, in particular, react instantly to noise and sometimes abandon their feed. No such instances have occurred in the past one week, she says.
It is not only the carnivores such as tigers and leopards that are stressed. Even small mammals such as mongoose and palm civet among a host of animals too get affected badly, Kalaivanan said. That may return when the zoo is ultimately opened, he added.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA