The Bamboo at the Nehru Zoological Park are flowering and this has caused concerns about the people as it a widely help belief that this phenomenon is followed by severe drought and famine.

"There was bamboo flowering at some place in the 40-acre spread Lion Safari Park in the Zoo. We immediately ordered the bushes to cut to prevent the increase of rodent population associated with it," says Zoo park director Gopal Reddy.

Experts say that "gregarious flowering of bamboo" is a rare occurrence in the life cycle of bamboo. After the flowering the bamboo dies and the rodent increase in number and start attacking agricultural crops once the bamboo plant perishes.

The situation arose once in the 1960s in Mizoram where there was an enormous increase in the rodent population leading to crop destruction and famine.

"With the availability of rich-diet, the reproductive system of rodents will increase, resulting in multiple rat population. The rats used to raid villages and town in Mizoram for food, causing famine. However, since the flowering took place only in small patches in our Zoo Park, we successfully removed entire plantation," Reddy added.

The flowering causes drought and famine is a belief held by tribals in the region however it is not scientifically proven. Experts say that the flowering cycle of the bamboo cannot be predicted by science as it varies from seven years to more than a century.