Wildlife health management

The following activities are undertaken for Wildlife health management. The health management can be properly categorized in to.

1. Preventive measures
2. Curative measures

 1. Preventive Measures

 1.1 - Animal Hygiene:

    1. Daily cleaning of animal cages.
    2. Removal of Fecal material & its proper disposal.
    3. Routine use of Phenyl & other Disinfectants.
    4. Periodic use of Blow Torch.
    5. Removal of foreign materials from enclosures.
    6. Removal of spider webs from animal houses.
    7. To ensure fresh & clean drinking water supply.
    8. Use of Antiseptic solutions in bath for Chimps & Orangutan.
    9. Use of Rat kills in Bird House.
    10. Use of Mosquito Repellents in Chimps' & Orangutan houses
    11. Removal of fecal material from various enclosures like- Sambhar,Chital, Hog deer, Barking deer, Thamin deer, Sikka deer, Black buck, Chinkara, Swamp deer, Rhino & Elephant
    12. Periodic cleaning of water tanks of various enclosures
    13. Cutting of grasses & weeds from various enclosures.
    14. Bathing of animals like Rhino, Elephant, Chimps & Orangutan during summers.
    15. Feed & water must be supplied to animals in hygienic condition.
    16. Daily cleaning of water pots and feeding platform.
    17. Arrangements for fresh & clean water in tanks.
    18. To ensure proper light & ventilation in animal houses.

1.2 - Animal Nutrition:

    1. Feeding of fresh & clean food to animals.
    2. Observation of likes & dislikes of feed for a particular animal.
    3. Close observation of feed intake & feed left over and changing the quantity of feed for particular animal accordingly.
    4. Feeding of Tonics, Mineral mixtures to animals.
    5. Feeding animal hygienically.
    6. Arrangements done for lopping for elephant.
    7. Change in amount & quality of feed according to season.

1.3 - Animal Health Monitoring

    1. Daily check up of all animals.
    2. Checking of animals for normal feeding, defecation & urination daily.
    3. Checking of animals for any wound externally & other abnormal skin lesions.
    4. Detailed observation of external behavior & gait.
    5. Observing whether animal is taking interest in his surroundings or not.
    6. Identification of abnormal or sick animal & immediate reporting to zoo authorities.
    7. Separating the sick animal from group without giving any physical & mental stress to animal.
    8. Taking large cats viz -Lion, Tigers, Leopard etc. in squeezer without causing trauma to animal.

1.4 - Animal Disease Prevention

    1. Deworming medicines to be given periodically according to the instruction of veterinary officer with feed & meat etc.
    2. Helping the veterinary staff during collection of Blood, Fecal & Urine sample.
    3. Helping the veterinary staff during administration of Prophylactic Vaccines & Drugs.
    4. Keeping the newly arrived animals in Quarantine & observing the animal for any abnormal condition or behavior.
    5. Proper washing of hands after handling a sick animal so that infection is not spread amongst other healthy animals.
    6. Arrangements of health camps for zoo staff twice a year to prevent spreading of zoonotic diseases.

1.5 - Animal breeding

    1. The male and female (in heat) animals are put together for mating. This exercise is to be done gradually with special precautions and in presence of zoo authorities.
    2. Avoiding inbreeding.
    3. Detection of females in heat (estrus).
    4. Population control to be done by segregation of male and female counterparts in some species like Chital & Black buck.

2. Curative measures

    1. Separation of sick animals from the group.
    2. Informing the veterinary officer for treatment and helping the veterinary staff during treatment.
    3. Close observation of pregnant animals.
    4. Recording the dates of mating and dates of delivery in different species of animals.
    5. Recording day-to-day activity of animals of each enclosure.
    6. Taking good care of newborn babies.
    7. Recording the birth & death of animals of different enclosures.
    8. Helping the veterinary staff during various surgical cases.