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Human interventions intensify city heat; urban animals bear the brunt
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
Clearing trees for beautification and safety, creating open spaces for pathways and erecting billboards have contributed to an increase in the heat in urban and suburban areas of Sri Lanka.
National Zoological Gardens Director General Dr Chandana Rajapaksa
Colombo and most prominent cities have become areas which radiate more heat as the concrete buildings bake in the sun, subjecting urban wildlife to extreme heat.
The heatwave has also driven the wildlife in parks and savanna forests to extremes; therefore, the natural behaviour of animals has changed, while many animals have started to die off.
Conservationists urged people to maintain shaded cool areas and provide access to water to animals as well as refrain from disturbing animals which are struggling to remain in cooler areas or limit movement in an effort to conserve energy.
Colombo University Zoology Professor Sampath Seneviratne said heat regulation is a matter of survival for animals, while availability of water and shaded areas could mean life or death.
He said all animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and even insects, are affected by the heat wave and face complications in different ways.
According to him, the urban wildlife is worst affected because of limited tree cover and water sources to cool off or quench the thirst.
“The forest animals have no adaptation to deal with heat, while the animals which live in arid savanna habitats have adaptations yet are unable to cope with extreme heat as it exceeds their thresholds.’’
Prof. Seneviratne explained that ectothermic (cold-blooded) creatures, such as fish, amphibians, reptiles and insects, find extreme weather hard, as their body temperature is regulated according to environmental heat sources.
He explained that endothermic animals (mammals and birds) regulated body heat internally and are better able to adapt, but animals which depend on external heat find it difficult to tolerate it. 
He said certain amphibians such as frogs and reptiles such as tortoises and geckos, as well as crocodiles, enter a state of torpor where they limit their activities and feeding to remain in a shaded place to regulate body heat. He said people should not disturb these animals.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation has increased patrols during the arid weather situations as poachers target animals at watering holes, the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Ranjan Marasinghe, told the Sunday Times. He said the DWC is engaging in wildlife management and does not intervene unless the situation becomes extreme. The dry season kills the weak animals, and nature takes its course.
But if the heat reaches unprecedented levels, it could cause an unusually high number of deaths of animals.
“If the situation becomes worse, we would close national parks and carry out renovations in tanks in the parks as well as create watering holes,” he said.
Even the National Zoological Gardens is adapting to the conditions.
National Zoological Gardens Director General Dr Chandana Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times certain animal species such as jaguars and brown bears are found in cooler habitats where they use fans and place large ice cubes to cool them off.
“The heat inside the zoo is manageable due to the greenery. Large trees are vital to reduce heat; people should also retain green areas so the heat could be reduced,’’ he said.
He said the reptile enclosure is cooled by fans to maintain a constant temperature.
The zoo DG also said animals could use the ponds, waterfalls, moats, dens and shaded areas to regulate body heat.
Designing enclosures to suit an animal’s natural environment, too, helps animals handle harsh weather.
Beating the heat: Animals at the zoo cool off sometimes with a little help from humans too. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
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