Fitness regime for jumbos to prevent cardiac ailments!

Chennai, June 18: Fitness regime for heavy weight Jumbos, sounds strange!. But it's happening at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP) at Vandalur, about 35 km from here.

Making elephants burn their calories no doubt is an elephantine task. But the Zoo officials have embarked on this gigantic effort-- teaching special exercises and taking them to morning walks--to keep the pachyderms in shape, which in turn would prevent heart diseases.

''We are concerned the elephants will become obese due to the sedentary lifestyle in the Zoo, where their movements are restricted as compared to their movements in the wild. Like human beings, elephants too can develop heart problems due to obesity.

That's why we have introduced this special exercise'', AAZP Deputy Director Debasis Jana told UNI today.

Since training elephants was much more easier than teaching other wild animals, Mr Debasis Jana said to begin with, two elephants, five-and-a half-year-old Vikram and 13-year-old Indira, have been taught these exercises that included a five km walk in the morning.

Then the animal keepers put the elephants through a short exercise drill on a daily basis. It included teaching the elephants to sit, stand, salute, lift the trunk and other such workouts.

He said Vikram, which was brought to the zoo as a calf, after it was found separated from its herd, weighs about 950 kg. Indira, brought from the reserve forest areas, weighs about 2.5 tonnes.

''Considering their age it was normal weight, but we are keen that they should remain in good shape and do not become obese''.

Elephants performing exercises was also a sort of entertainment for scores of visitors thronging the zoo, he said.

Mr Debasis Jana said the concept was nothing new as it was a routine in camps conducted for elephants at Thekkady. It would take nearly one-and-a-half hours for the elephants to complete the five km walk before it was put through the drills by 'Kavadis' (a grade below mahouts), using tribal languages with the help of Mahouts.

Asked about any change in diet schedule that was effected for the jumbos in the wake of the new fitness regime, he said the usual diet prescribed by the Veterinarians was being followed.

They were given a balanced diet of seven kg of ragi, two kg of horse gram, 200 kg of grass with jaggery and four sugarcane sticks with salt.

In all the zoo houses three elephants. The third jumbo, six-month-old 'Chellammal', brought from Andhiyur forest areas, was now exhibited for public. It would also be put through the fitness regime.

''It's too young now. It will also be covered under the fitness regime'', Mr Debasis Jana added.

UNI