JOIN USThe ostrich, the emu, the peahen and a few pheasants at the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden have been laying less and infertile eggs in the past two years, leaving the vets “brooding.”
The only female ostrich here’s too young to lay eggs. There are two male and another female bird which are around three years old. This is not the right age for breeding either, say zookeepers.
But all hope is not lost yet. An ostrich normally lives up to 17-18 years. And there’s always the next breeding season. “We expect fertile eggs in the coming season,” said the zookeeper.
As for emus, there are eight - three males and five females. Since they are large birds, they were recently moved in to a spacious new enclosure. But the giant avians chickened out. No eggs, no chicks.
“Although emus here are mature enough to lay fertile eggs, their relocation seems to be a hindrance. The vets even tried incubation, but in vain. It has been two years since they laid fertile eggs,” adds the zookeeper. Their life span is seven -eight years.
And the zoo’s peahen and peacock don’t see eye to eye. “The females are not ‘co-operating’ with the males. There are a total of 25 peafowls in the zoo and in the neighbouring Karanji Lake. The authorities are trying to change the grouping among white peafowls to encourage mating and successful breeding.”
The pheasants are old. There is only one Reeves pheasant; one male green and Monal pheasant and only females in the other varieties. The zoo plans to bring in mates through an ‘animal exchange programme’.
According to a health advisory committee which visited the zoo in August last, the breeding problems among the birds could be the lack of desire for mating.
It could also be an imbalance in mineral supply that’s critical for reproduction. Manganese, selenium and zinc supplements could help reverse the situation, the committee said.
It also suggested that mineral mixture, presently fed to birds, be sent for analysis to the Veterinary College in Bangalore to study the possibility of supplementing critical minerals aiding reproduction.