Alipore Zoo makes arrangements to keep animals warm during winter

Kolkata: The authorities of Alipore Zoological Gardens, one of the top tourist hotspots in the city during the festive season, have made special arrangements to keep the animals warm during winter season.

"The reptiles are cold-blooded and need special care in winter. We have put blankets inside snake enclosures. For other inhabitants of the zoo, we have made special arrangements to keep them warm through the season. We

are trying to add new animals to the zoo to make it more attractive for the visitors,"

said Asis Kumar Samanta, director of Alipore Zoological Gardens.

He added that for birds and monkeys, special layers of grass have been laid on the cemented floors to overcome the chilly weather.

According to sources, the elephants at the zoo are also being given an extra dose of jaggery to keep them warm.

On Sunday, state Forest minister Rajib Banerjee had unveiled a separate enclosure for nocturnal animals at Alipore Zoological Gardens. Four wild dogs and two female lion cubs have just been put inside the enclosure.

The Nocturnal House, situated in the western flank of the zoo, has a big statue of an owl at its entrance. It was earlier home to monkeys in Gubbay House, named after 19th-century Jewish merchant Elia Shalom Gubbay, who had funded it.

The architecture and lighting of the Nocturnal House have been created in such a way that it would give visitors a feel of night ambience during the day.

The Alipore Zoological Garden, also known as Alipore Zoo or Calcutta Zoo, is India's oldest zoological park. It is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

City-dwellers have expressed their happiness as winter has finally set in after a long delay. All the tourist spots across the city including Alipore Zoo, Victoria Memorial, Science City and Eco Park are also making various arrangements to welcome visitors during Christmas and New Year celebrations.