Columbus Zoo works to keep animals cool amid heat wave

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Columbus Zoo has been putting measures in place to make sure its animal residents can beat the heat.

Adam Felts, the senior curator and director of animal well-being, said some animals are built to deal with hot temperatures but may still need ways to stay cool off. He said all the habitats are designed to accommodate the animal’s natural history but also gives them access to air conditioning, feeding them ice cubes and more.

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“So many of our animals have cooling opportunities, such as our polar bears have a cool pool,” Felts said. “They also have access to an air-conditioned building. Red pandas have boxes, and they have air conditioning in them. and we provide them with as many choices and options as possible so they can use the environment to alleviate themselves from this heat.”

The planning for how to deal with the extreme temperatures has been in place for weeks. The Columbus Zoo staff wants to ensure the safety of the animals.

“The keepers are proactive at providing relief and options for the animals to cool themselves off,” Felts said. “We give them ice cubes; we have ice makers here at the zoo for our polar bears and our sea lions and those are spread throughout the zoo if animals want to play in the ice to cool themselves down.”

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