Blood-sicles and misters: Zookeepers look to keep animals cool in oppressive heat
Many of the Phoenix Zoo’s 3,000 animals are used to hot weather.
Many of the Phoenix Zoo’s 3,000 animals are used to hot weather. Still, with the city reaching a record 21 consecutive days of temperatures at 110 F or higher, zookeepers are having to get creative.
That means everything from fans and misters to frozen treats like ice pops for most animals and blood-sicles — frozen blood refreshments — for the carnivores, said Drew Foster, the zoo’s director of living collections.
“Even when it is incredibly hot, the staff still has to be here to take care of animals,” Foster said. “Instead of closing the zoo, we give animals access to climate-controlled areas and give them the care they need.”
Millions of Americans are in the midst of a multiweek heat wave, with record-breaking temperatures being recorded from the desert Southwest to Florida.
Animals are just as susceptible to the heat as people, and the National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings across the U.S., urging those in the heat wave’s path to stay hydrated, wear appropriate clothing and stay indoors when possible.
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