Nandan Kanan gets health cover
No unnatural tiger deaths in Orissa zoo since 10 died in 2000
The day in the Nandan Kanan Zoo begins at 8 am with two veterinary doctors and the keepers making rounds of the animal and bird enclosures, administering medicines and vaccines where required. Health records of the animals in each enclosure are maintained in separate registers. The vets sign them with their observations and remarks.
The routine is as regimented as patient-care in a hospital. The assistant veterinary surgeon makes another round in the afternoon to check the animals and birds for stress and symptoms. If an animal is found sick, its condition is monitored through the night by the senior veterinary officer.
The meticulous healthcare routine followed by the zoo is reflected in its declining mortality rate. Statistics show animal mortality in Nandan Kanan has reduced from 90 deaths in 2004-2005 to 44 in 2008-2009.