The Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Vandalur, is revamping its nocturnal animal house and the Vedanthangal enclosure to upgrade facilities for the animals and enhance visitors’ experience.
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Modelled after a cave, the nocturnal animal house, in which seven species, including slender loris, porcupines, civet cats, and owls will be kept, is being redone with glass enclosures. Two ‘day crawls’ (a cage where some birds and animals are kept while others of their kind are kept inside the nocturnal house) are being built outside the house.
Further, while the old ‘cave’ had a few windows, the upgraded one will be darker and more suitable for the animals and owls, said zoo authorities. Separate ventilation passages for the animals and the visitors’ walk area are being set up to lessen the odour inside the house. The renovation work started in mid-December and is expected to be completed by the end of March, authorities said.
Another facility in the zoo that is getting a makeover is the Vedanthangal enclosure or wetland birds enclosure. Spot-billed pelicans, painted storks, grey herons, night herons, darters, and white ibis are some birds that are housed in the enclosure. A dome-shaped structure with three levels, the highest point being 18 m, the enclosure will be made of a chainlink mesh and have wooden platforms for the birds to perch on. The revamped enclosure is expected to provide more room for the birds to fly.
According to zoo authorities, wider drainage pipelines in the pond at the centre of the enclosure are being added to flush out algae and reduce the need for frequent manual cleaning.