Mangaluru : The Pilikula Biological Park, recognised as a major zoo by the Central Zoo Authority of India, totally quiet without visitors and the animals to forgo meat in their diet due to lockdown since three weeks.

The zoo has 13 tigers, 12 panthers, four lions besides 17 wild dogs, two hyenas and 22 small cats that require meat six days a week. As meat is not available now, the animals have been forced to eat only chicken which is also part of their diet.

Director of the park H. Jayaprakash Bhandary told that the park requires 250 kg of meat and 100 kg chicken daily [six days a week]. The animals are kept under starvation for a day in a week due to health considerations.

“Now, we are managing by feeding only chicken to them. We are procuring local chicken with great difficulty. If quality meat is not made available in another two weeks, then health issues might arise in these animals,” he said.

He said that fish is also under short supply as deep sea fishing along the coast has come to a halt. Whatever fish is available is being kept in a freezer and fed depending upon need.

Mr. Bhandary said that the park is now being managed with skeleton staff as it has been closed for visitors. It has been taking all precautionary measures to ensure that there was no bird flu.

Tigers, wild dogs and many small cats have bred under captivity in the zoo.

He said that amid lockdown, a bison gave birth to a calf at the park on Friday.

With this, the number of bisons in the park rose to five. Earlier, the park had two pairs of bisons. The bison which gave birth to the calf was brought to the park from Chennai zoo a year ago, he said.