A python has laid eggs and a slow loris has given birth to a baby in captivity for the first time in Sipahijala Zoo, about 22 km from here, zoo officials said today.
"This is for the first time a python has laid eggs in the zoo captivity and a slow loris also gave birth to a baby about ten days ago. We are continuously observing the developments and trying to give our best support to those animals," Zoo Director Pallav Chakraborty told PTI.
Slow lorises are a group of several species of nocturnal strepsirrhine primates which make up the genus Nycticebus, found in India's north east, West Bengal, neighboring Bangladesh and also in some other places in southeast Asia.
"When the slow loris was pregnant we felt that some insects rich with protein should be supplied to the animal. Then we laid light trap to catch the insects and supplied them in live condition because slow loris would not consume if those insects were dead," the zoo director said.
With the soaring heat the zoo authority has also taken an initiative to keep enclosures cool so that the animals could live comfortably.
"For animals like elephants, we take them to the small Bijoy river flowing through the Sipahijala sanctuary for bathing. Otherwise we shower them two-three times a day with tank water," Chakraborty said.
There are four domesticated elephants in the sanctuary which are being trained for rides for the visitors.
"We water the floors of the enclosures of leopards, monkeys, cats etc but do not sprinkle water on them as they do not like," he said.
Animals like black bucks from Rajasthan or lions from Gir
do not need any artificial cooling as they were brought from warm and temperate areas.
"We regularly pour water on floors of the cages of Himalayan bear and also hang gunny bags around their enclosures. We keep them wet and have also covered their roofs with materials which are non-conductors of heat," Chakraborty said.
Veterinary doctor of the zoo, Keshab Debnath said beside keeping the enclosures cool it was also necessary to give oral hydration to the animals.
"We are giving ORS round the clock to the animals and have also changed their diet to protect them from dehydration," the doctor said.
Sepahijala Sanctuary is also the only national breeding center for Clouded Leopard, an endangered animal and spectacle monkey, found mostly in Tripura.
Slow loris may look harmless but it is one of the only poisonous mammals in the world.
