NEW DELHI, July 21 (Bernama) -- While Indian sky gazers anxiously await for the first solar eclipse of the 21st century, Indian scientists are busying preparing to study its impact on animals and marine lives.
In Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, zoologists have been collecting animal behaviour data to analyse how they would react when the solar eclipse crosses the state on Wednesday morning.
"We want to see how wild animals behave, how their behaviour deviates during the solar eclipse because their biological clock will change.
"For this project, we have selected about 41 different carnivorous animals and for the last 15 days, we have been observing how these animals behave," A. K. Khare, the park's deputy director told Bernama.
Every morning at the national park, zookeepers are keeping a close watch on lions, tigers, leopards, snakes, crocodiles and birds.
The solar eclipse would pass over India on July 22, lasting for about six minutes and 39 seconds (between 5.30am and 7.30am) and it would be best witnessed from cities like Bhopal, Patna and Varanasi.
Meanwhile, in the state of Gujarat, a team of biologists from the Veer Marmad South Gujarat University has started a research to probe the eclipse's effect on aquatic life.
Dr Mohini Gadhia, the university's head of the Aquatic Biology department, is leading a four-member research team to investigate behavioural pattern in aquatic animals.
"For the next three days, we will be monitoring how gold fish, carp and prawn would behave. This control study will be videographed to see if there are any changes in their breathing pattern, swimming, changes in (body) colours or physiological changes," she told Bernama from Surat.
Her team began its observation today at 5am, where scientists are monitoring selected aquatic animals placed in aquariums.
In Surat, the eclipse is expected to last for about three minutes.
-- BERNAMA
In Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, zoologists have been collecting animal behaviour data to analyse how they would react when the solar eclipse crosses the state on Wednesday morning.
"We want to see how wild animals behave, how their behaviour deviates during the solar eclipse because their biological clock will change.
"For this project, we have selected about 41 different carnivorous animals and for the last 15 days, we have been observing how these animals behave," A. K. Khare, the park's deputy director told Bernama.
Every morning at the national park, zookeepers are keeping a close watch on lions, tigers, leopards, snakes, crocodiles and birds.
The solar eclipse would pass over India on July 22, lasting for about six minutes and 39 seconds (between 5.30am and 7.30am) and it would be best witnessed from cities like Bhopal, Patna and Varanasi.
Meanwhile, in the state of Gujarat, a team of biologists from the Veer Marmad South Gujarat University has started a research to probe the eclipse's effect on aquatic life.
Dr Mohini Gadhia, the university's head of the Aquatic Biology department, is leading a four-member research team to investigate behavioural pattern in aquatic animals.
"For the next three days, we will be monitoring how gold fish, carp and prawn would behave. This control study will be videographed to see if there are any changes in their breathing pattern, swimming, changes in (body) colours or physiological changes," she told Bernama from Surat.
Her team began its observation today at 5am, where scientists are monitoring selected aquatic animals placed in aquariums.
In Surat, the eclipse is expected to last for about three minutes.
-- BERNAMA
0 comments
Post a Comment