Hyderabad: The safari park at the city zoo continued to be shut on Thursday due to overflowing polluted water from the Mir Alam tank. Zoo officials said they were not sure when the park would reopen as water was still entering from the tank. They said they had taken up intensive medication drives to ensure that the animals did not fall prey to water-borne diseases.
Dr Abdul Hakeem, assistant director (veterinary) at the zoo, said herbivore infants were being vaccinated to immunize them against foot and mouth disease. Prophy-lactic measures were being implemented, antibiotics and supplements like Vitamin B complex were being mixed with the food and water.
A major concern was that water was stagnating in the moats of animals like hippopotamus, rhinoceros and reptiles like crocodiles. Dr Hakeem said the moats were being bleached regularly to prevent microbes from breeding in the water.
The most vulnerable in the zoo are birds. Some birds have developed pneumonia due to the rains and are being treated, said officials. No death of any animal had been reported at the zoo.
