Current:Home > BackFrozen treats, cold showers and lots of ice; Florida zoo works to protect animals from summer heat-LoTradeCoin
Frozen treats, cold showers and lots of ice; Florida zoo works to protect animals from summer heat
View Date:2024-12-23 19:18:38
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Malayan tigers and Aldabra tortoises are native to hot and humid lands, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy a frozen treat on a hot Florida summer day.
Temperatures in South Florida this month have reached the upper 90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius) with humidity reaching 70%, combining for “feels like” temperatures regularly exceeding 100 F (38 C).
Staff at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society use a variety of techniques to keep their animals cool. Zookeepers throw large piles of ice into the black bear enclosure for the animals to wallow in, chilling their pool to 74 F (23 C). The otters get ice blocks and frozen fish tossed into their water for playing and eating.
Tigers feast on more ingenious treats: They get frozen cow bones crammed into blocks of ice, along with a side of frozen goat milk. The big cats also like to swim.
Giant tortoises, native to the islands of the Indian Ocean, enjoy cool showers from a hose, which they can feel through their shells.
“Even though all of our animals are acclimatized to the South Florida weather, they look for ways to cool off during the hot days, just like we do,” said Mike Terrell, the zoo’s curator of animal experiences. “All of our animals that we have here at the zoo were specifically chosen because they’re used to warm climates. And so they’re totally happy in a high, high heat, high humidity environment. ”
The zoo’s guests love to watch the animals cool down and children press their faces up against the glass for a better look, Terrell said.
“We absolutely love is nose prints,” Terrell said.
Figuring out what cooling activities the animals enjoy requires a bit of trial and error, he said.
“They really tell us what they like,” Terrell said. “We can take our best guess, but if we’re giving them something that they don’t like or they’re not interacting with, we’re not going to continue to give it to them.”
___
Associated Press writer Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.
veryGood! (8635)
Related
- Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked
- Met Gala 2023: We’ve Never Ever Been Happier to See Sydney Sweeney
- Get $91 Worth of Origins Skincare Products for Just $29
- Get $91 Worth of Origins Skincare Products for Just $29
- Opinion: NFL began season with no Black offensive coordinators, first time since the 1980s
- Pregnant Rihanna Has Smurfs on the Brain: All the Details on Her New Role
- Here’s What Sarah Hyland Would Tell Herself During Her Modern Family Days
- Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Bring the Love and Looks to 2023 Met Gala
- World leaders aim to shape Earth's future at COP29 climate change summit
- Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber Can’t Help Showing Sweet PDA at Red Carpet Event
Ranking
- Outgoing North Carolina governor grants 2 pardons, 6 commutations
- Ariana Madix Makes Glam Red Carpet Return at White House Correspondents' Dinner After Tom Sandoval Split
- Pregnant Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Reveal Sex of Baby With Help From Son Shai
- From 4chan to international politics, a bug-eating conspiracy theory goes mainstream
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- Matthew Perry Says Keanu Reeves Won't Be Mentioned in Future Versions of His Memoir
- Proof Pregnant Rihanna Had Met Gala 2023 on the Brain With Chanel Look
- Wayfair's Early Way Day Deals Are Here: Shop the Best Home Decor, Kitchenware, Furniture & More on Sale
Recommendation
-
Wisconsin’s high court to hear oral arguments on whether an 1849 abortion ban remains valid
-
You Won't Believe These Stars Have Never Been to the Met Gala
-
You Will GAF About Dua Lipa's Met Gala 2023 Look
-
Mother’s Day 2023: The Best Sales & Deals on Gifts From Kate Spade, Coach, Nordstrom Rack, and More
-
MLS playoff teams set: Road to MLS Cup continues with conference semifinals
-
This fishing gear can help save whales. What will it take for fishermen to use it?
-
Where are the whales? Scientists find clues thousands of miles away
-
Rain may soon help put out flames in Canada's worst recorded wildfire season