as the scorching heat pierces the voc zoological park pelicans herons egrets and storks paddle in a cramped stream of water with an injured right hind leg a jackal limps in its cage while three aged camels covered with sores dodder around in an enclosure it has turned out to be an agonising summer for the 330 birds and 92 wild mammals in the coimbatore zooligical park with most of the animals worn out by the heatlast year the monkeys were given icecream sticks to beat the heat this year they have to be content with a splash of water and a few melon slices in the best of seasons the park spread over 461 acres of land in the heart of the city has been a textbook example of how a zoo should not be and with the summer temperatures peaking the conditions have turned worse for the animals at the mumbai zoo birds and animals are being given bottles of glucose to stave off the searing heat but in coimbatore the birds look dehydrated say activistswild life activists are voicing their concerns about the situation the condition of the zoo is pathetic it should be shifted to a more spacious location says wildlife activist k kalidasan of the osai wildlife experts also point out that the zoo is too cramped for birds and animals to breed only 025 cent of land has been allotted for pelicans and storks the birds feel cramped and do not mate therefore there has been no breeding of such birds over the last five to six years the sign of a healthy zoo is that animals and birds kept in enclosures breed but there has been no breeding in the coimbatore zoo says a veterinarianthe zoo is one among the 12 corporationrun zoos in the country the corporation can clean up the streets lay roads and supply water how can the corporation run a zoo the veterinarian asks however the zoo director r perumal samy says we are bound by the guidelines of the central zoo authority and the wildlife protection act 1972 this year we havent received the guidelines for the summer regarding the upkeep of the zoo but the director is quick to point out that the zoo is actually wellmanaged due to the thick vegetation we dont face much heat the vegetation both at the park and zoo is actually a gift there is not much radiation of heat he saysthe coldblooded creatures are on a special diet which is low on fat and high on protein and carbohydrates we are also giving the animals citrusrich fruits and green fodder water is splashed on them when the heat gets particularly unrelenting the zoo director says as for the camels official said they were 26yearsold the females are ageing and have lived beyond their life expectancy of 22 years due to their age they get skin sores which they perpetuate by itching however their feeding activities are normal he said