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The cyclone is past, but where are the animals?

The super-cyclone has ravaged the Nandankanan Zoo on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, forcing its closure.

The zoo, spread over 1,250 acres, had attracted hundreds of daily visitors from the state and outside. What used to be a highly scenic region amid hillocks, streams and thick forest, today stands stark naked sans any vegetation. The storm has uprooted all trees. All that remains now is a sheet of water.

Though the officials maintain that there are not many casualties, informed sources claim that the zoo is now without at least 100 deer, 25 crocodiles, a lion, two hornbills, some water snakes and scores of birds. While the deer perished under the fury of the cyclone, the crocodiles took advantage of the surging water and escaped from the lake.

Speculation is also rife that some carnivorous animals including lions and tigers have escaped from their enclosures. The zoo authorities, however, dismiss this as mere rumour.

What worries the authorities the most is the after-shock of the cyclone on the animals. The zoo has nearly 1,500 birds and animals belonging to 150 species. These include 34 white tigers and 52 lions.

"We are amazed that most lions and tigers are refusing food after the cyclone. As such they were saved because we put them in the feeding chambers so as not to be affected by the strong gale that ripped the place [at speeds of over 250 kph]. But we find the post-cyclone shock more shocking,'' said a senior zoo official.

Another problem for the authorities is the extent of heat the naked landscape is likely to experience next summer, given the fact that the last two summers had taken a heavy toll. Besides, routine deaths due to congestion and other diseases have also become common.

The zoo has now been closed to visitors, and is likely to remain so at least for another three months.

A strange sight one would find inside the zoo is the restoration operation being carried out not by men but by animals. Nandankanan has about two dozen elephants -- all of which have been pressed into service to carry logs and clear debris.

''Though we will be able to clear the zoo of fallen trees and other left-outs, it would take a long time to get the animals and birds acclimatised to the new surroundings. They are showing behavioural changes,'' officials said.

UNI

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