How Richmond’s zoo animals beat the extreme summer heat
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An orangutan at the Metro Richmond Zoo enjoying an ice treat. Photo: Courtesy of the Metro Richmond Zoo.
If you're unsure how to beat the extreme heat, maybe take some advice from the animals of the Metro Richmond Zoo.
The big picture: The likely hotter-than-usual summer Virginians are facing is impacting them too, leading Richmond's zookeepers to "work extra hard on these hot days so the animals can feel comfortable," spokesperson Taylor Andelin tells Axios.
Here are some ways they're keeping them cool, per Andelin:
🩸 Blood popsicles for the carnivores and frozen veggie ice treats for herbivores.
🦦 Max the otter sometimes gets a mound of ice to play in "which he loves."
🦏 Rhinos and warthogs have mud wallows to rest in.
🧊 Apes get wet towels, a running hose on the floor of their houses and ice treats with fruit inside.
💦 African penguins and "big cats" love sprinklers.
🏖️ Outdoor pools with cool water.
Between the lines: Most of Richmond's zoo animals — especially those native to deserts and rainforests — are naturally used to these warm temperatures.
- "Just because we as humans feel uncomfortable doesn't necessarily mean the animals are," Andelin says.
- They also have access to indoor, climate-controlled areas.
The bottom line: They might be having more fun than we are.