With the Nisagandhi open air auditorium and the Kanakakkunnu palace in general becoming a favourite venue for a wide variety of programmes, including cultural and music events, the adjacent city zoo is bearing the brunt of the resultant noise pollution. Animals are sensitive to noise. The impact of such celebrations and cracker sounds on animals is accentuated during late evening/night when most such programmes are held.
Campaign planned
The problem of sound pollution has become so acute at the zoo that officials are planning a social media campaign to ensure the well being of animals. Already the sound pollution problem has been flagged in the WhatsApp group ‘Friends of Trivandrum Zoo’ by zoo veterinarian Alexander Jacob.
“Some animals are affected more by noise. The Rhea — a South American species — for instance is perhaps the worst affected by loud and sustained noise. It runs around its cage in circles and rubs its neck and gets injured in the process,” Dr. Jacob told The Hindu .
During such times the Rhea does not incubate its eggs and the zoo officials have to artificially incubate them. But such hatchlings will not be accepted by the mother and again it is left to zoo officials to try and keep the young ones well fed.
Similarly, whenever the ambient noise level goes beyond a point, all the peacocks at the zoo start making alarm calls.
Residents of capital city’s zoo are at the receiving end of noise pollution from a much favoured cultural haunt nearby.
