Ben Madilynn
SAN ANTONIO – In heatwaves such as this week’s, animals at the San Antonio Zoo are looking to stay cool as best they can.
“Our animals well-being is our top priority,” says Katelyn Rode, Animal Care Specialist at the San Antonio Zoo. She says on days when extreme temperatures hit, keeping the animals cool is of upmost importance.
“A lot of the animals have preferential access to their inside areas in their habitat. So they get to go inside, hang out in the air conditioning with a fan. A lot of them are also given cooling enrichments. So we can make them ice pops, we can freeze some of their diet, we can give them cold things to either lay on or interact with,” says Rode. She also explains how increasing hydration is so important.
“Extra leafy greens, things like lettuce, that have extra water in it as part of their diet or as enrichment are also things to make sure they are staying hydrated. And a lot of pools are also temperature controlled, so we can maintain nice cool water for the animals that have pools in their habitats,” says Rode. A lot of it is dependent on what the animal wants.
“It kind of depends on the species, and also it can depend on the individual animal. Some animals enjoy ice pops, other animals enjoy sitting in a tub of cooler water,” says Rode.
For humans who want to come out to the zoo in the heat, there are areas for us to cool off as well,” says Rode.
“We also have mister systems set up in different places throughout the zoo, lots of shady areas we have to keep cool and cool off,” says Rode.
