Hyderabad: The Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) authorities are planning to launch a pilot project to set up fish farming ponds inside the zoo to feed the carnivores animals of the park.
Fish ponds are being set up with fish seeds. These ponds will take quite some time to start supplying fish for animal feed.
According to an NZP official the beef, fish, chicken, and eggs are purchased from outside to feed the carnivores.
Carnivores are animals that prey on other animals in order to survive. Meat is the most essential part of their diet. They have physical features that allow them to efficiently hunt, capture and devour their target. But since these animals are kept in captivity in the zoo, they need meat diet to survive.
Some of the carnivore animals found in the zoo are Lion, Wolf, Leopard, Hyena, Cheetah, white tiger, Bengal Tiger, Jaguar, bear, crocodile etc.
According to ANZ officials, there are 181 types of animals in the zoo out of which 16 are herbivores whose food is plant-based like elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, Jiraffe, deer, antelope, zebra, etc.
Earlier the NZP officials have started organic farming inside the zoo to feed the herbivores animals to save them from the harmful effects of pesticides used in agriculture.
The Zoo farms provide leafy vegetables, bananas, sugarcane and Papayas. But still carrot, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumber, apples, watermelons and other fruits and vegetables are purchased from the market to feed the herbivores animals inside the zoo.
The NZP was established in the Bahadurpura area of the city in 1963. This zoo park is a big wildlife sanctuary at the bank of the historic Mir Alam tank (water reservoir) at an area of 380 acres.
