Maryland Zoo makes adjustments to ensure animals are safe in dangerous heat
Zookeepers are monitoring the animals, giving them extra water, spraying them off, and keeping them from the sun's powerful exposure.
Special attention for hot days
On Wednesday morning, the chimpanzees cooled off with icy fruits and vegetables.
"Chimpanzees are very smart. They're going to know when they're getting a special treat," said Margaret Innes, the general curator with the Maryland Zoo. "They're going to recognize the keepers coming down with that, and they're going to make sure they're front of the queue to get whatever is being offered."
But it's not just the chimpanzees getting the special treatment. Each animal gets monitored to make sure they are not overheated.
"We do have keepers who are monitoring them very closely, and they try to make sure that the animals have what they need to make sure they stay cool," Innes said.
Splashing away the heat
Additionally, many of the animals have a choice to spend their day outside with extra water and shade, or inside in the air conditioning.
Meanwhile, the African Elephants cool off with a spray shower.
"It's like us going to the pool and enjoying it," said zookeeper Steven Schweiger.
Schweiger says every time, 42-year-old Tuffy the Elephant chooses to stand under the shower.
"In the wild, he would go to a mud wallow or a pool that would actually throw mud on him," Schweiger said.
Acclimating to the weather
While these extra ways to cool down certainly help, Innes says it's incredible the way Tuffy and most of the animals at the zoo can follow their instincts to adapt to the heat.
The African penguins handle the intense heat better than you'd expect!
And of course, the zookeepers are keeping an extra eye out for issues during the heat, but Innes says for the most part, the animals know how to take care of themselves.
"Overall, animals, if they are healthy and don't have any issues that they're dealing with, can adapt and deal with the heat," Innes said. "And generally, if we give them the option, they will make good choices."
WJZ was told the same protocols are made during extreme cold weather events so the animals at the zoo are safe, happy, and healthy year-round.
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