The long, extreme summers of India have already taken a toll on people, particularly those of Karnataka and Maharashtra. However, a little planning could have helped save several lives. The Mysuru Zoo's rainwater harvesting initiative is setting a great example of how channeling our water resources in time can help us get through any future calamities. Zoos that are worst affected by this year's heat include National Zoological Park in Delhi, Sarthana Zoo in Surat, Nehru Zoological Park in Bengaluru, Kamla Nehru Botanical Gardens or Kankaria Zoo in Ahmedabad, Pilikula Zoo in Mangaluru and the Patna Zoo, among many others. While some of these zoos have arranged for water sprinklers to help animals cope with the extreme weather, the lack of sufficient water supply poses a threat to their welfare.

Santosh Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Executive Director of the Bannerghatta Biological Park, says, “Bengaluru never used to be so hot, the zoos in Chennai, Mangaluru, Mysore and Kanpur have all installed water sprinklers in the animal enclosures to keep them cool. We don’t have them yet, but we are now planning to install them. As of now, we manually spray the animals with water to keep them cool. This is especially done for the big animals like the tigers, leopards and elephants.”

He also added that while a large lake has dried up in the vicinity, 19 deep borewells can be tapped for water supply.

At the Ahmedabad zoo, things are hanging by the net, quite literally! A green net suspended over the zoo's enclosures ensures the temperature drops by nearly 7 degrees. Zoo superintendent R Sahu has said that coolers and sprinklers are not enough for the animals and in the wake of water shortage, the net is the main protection for the animals from the heat.

While zoos across India are struggling with supply for water sprinklers to keep the animals cool, Mysore Zoo continues its exemplary work and is in the news again for the first zebra foal bred in captivity at the zoo.