Lockdown, a breather for zoo inmates
Monday - June 8, 2020 11:08 am ,
Category : WTN SPECIAL
WTN- The 80-day lockdown phase that India is gradually coming out of, has been a boon for the environment. With lessened people’s activities, animals in the forests as well as in the zoos had a peaceful life for the near three-month period. The effects of this undisturbed hiatus are statistically visible, which underscores the undisputed benefit of the lockdown and gives teeth to the premise that human interference in natural life through his excessive greed has a detrimental effect on the flora and fauna around us.
A major difference in the behaviour of animals has been recorded in Indore zoo. Not only have they grown more active and healthier, they also got the right ecosystem to breed and thus the number of most species of animals has increased. Their internecine fights have reduced and the animals are apparently less irritated and impatient, reports zoo authorities.
A zoo of Indore’s size registers anything between 3000-5000 daily footfalls on an average. Such numbers are crowd for animals, who mostly prefer isolation and peace. Thus the psychological effects on them are understandable. Now, since the lockdown, with air, noise and water pollution almost reduced to nil, the number of crocodiles has gone from 30 to 52, the number of jackals has gone up from 10 to 14 and deer population has gone up from 32 to 35.
The trend shows that if we can control human intrusion in the life of animals or ration their movement, it can do a world of good to these assets of nature.- Window To News
