Assam State Zoo introduces new diet pattern for animals, starting this year

GUWAHATI: The primary purpose of a modern zoo is to act as a conservation centre for endangered species along with providing scopes of research and conservation. While achieving the primary objectives the key focus of a zoo is on the welfare of the animal. One of the prime aspects for welfare of the animal is to provide them with living standards, as far possible to its natural habitat. Regulation of animal behavior through food delivery mechanism can play a vital role. Therefore Assam State Zoo has introduced a new diet pattern for its animals, starting this year.

In the zoo, big cats (tiger/lion) were generally feed 6 days a week with beef being the staple diet. Considering the global trends in practices regarding feeding of the animal, Assam state zoo has introduced two day fasting to tiger and five day feeding routines in a week wherein 4 days it will be fed with beef and one day mutton. The Assam state zoo is exploring opportunities to include more variety in the diet.

Being scavengers, vultures generally don’t feed every day. Therefore food will now be provided every alternative day only. Gradually, the zoo intents to shift to twice a week feeding pattern for vultures.

With respect to the aquatic birds which were being fed on dead fish will now be provided with live fish fingerling which are released in the pond. The aquatic birds will have to fish them as they do in nature. This is sort of feed enrichment where the birds are made to exhibit natural behaviour.

Again, it was observed that the herbivores especially deers were overloaded with protein as observed by the health advisory committee of the zoo, now the feed is modified accordingly in the new diet plan taking examples from Mysore zoo which is one among the best performing zoo in the country.

As a part to invoke the natural behaviour of the captive animals, food enrichment activities are taken up wherein the food is hidden inside the enclosure inside a bamboo stick or on trees etc to make animal use their sensory skills to find the food.

Further, as per cza guidelines, the deers will now be feed more on natural green grass and tree leaf and the vegetables and fruits will be gradually avoided. For quality green grass zoo will have the bigger hydroponic system Capable of producing over 1200kg of fodder grass per day.

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