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Heat wave puts pressure on Thuringian zoos: Animals are desperate for shade!
Extreme heat puts a strain on animals in Gera Zoo: Ice bombs and mud baths are used to cool them down.
Heat wave puts pressure on Thuringian zoos: Animals are desperate for shade!
When the temperatures rise and the sun beats down mercilessly, we immediately know: It's time to cool down. This applies not only to us humans, but also to the animal residents in zoos and animal parks. The animals in the Thuringian Zoo and Animal Park in Gera are currently suffering from extreme heat. Those responsible have taken precautions to give the animals a little relief on these hot days. Ice bombs with frozen pieces of vegetables and fruit are offered for the monkeys, while mud baths are provided for the pigs and shady places for the bison. The animals also have free access to shady, cooler places, which is very important to avoid heat stress. To protect visitors, the Barbary macaque enclosure will be closed at 3:30 p.m. today, while feeding of the bison and bat-eared foxes will have to be canceled due to the high temperatures.
Despite these challenges, visitor numbers are observed to be moderate on hot days as many seek to cool off. The zoo in Gera therefore offers a heat bonus of one euro discount per ticket as soon as temperatures reach 30 degrees. During these times, special care is taken to ensure that the animals are provided with refreshing green fodder and sufficient fresh water. However, the situation in Gera is not unique; Zoos in other European countries are also struggling with similar challenges.
Challenges in other regions
Such as in Switzerland, where record summer temperatures regularly reach daily values of over 35 degrees. The zoos in Zurich, Goldingen, Basel, Bern and La Chaux-de-Fonds have taken a variety of measures to ensure both the welfare of the animals and the comfort of visitors. Expanded shade areas, moisture-regulating soils, and additional water sources are just a few of the strategies that help alleviate heat stress. Particular attention is paid to cold-climate animals such as snow leopards and penguins, which particularly suffer from the heat.
In addition, it has been shown that animals have to adapt their activity to the heat. Animals that are active at dusk can easily lose their natural rhythm due to the heat behavior of visitors. To combat this, many zoos recommend visiting the facility in the cooler morning hours, when temperatures are more moderate and the animals appear more active.
Heat stress – a serious issue
As research shows, heat stress is not just a problem in zoos. Rising ambient temperatures can also have major health effects on farm animals, such as dairy cows. The Federal Office of Agriculture in Switzerland is working on projects to detect and prevent heat stress in various animal species. Emphasis is placed on behavioral characteristics that indicate the onset of heat stress, such as lying down less and staying close to water troughs or shady areas.
The findings from this research could ultimately benefit zoos and help protect the animals' quality of life. At a time when heat waves have become normal for many regions, it is even more important that both zoos and private animal owners take appropriate measures to ensure that the animals have a bearable life.
The situation clearly shows that you have to have a good hand for animal care, especially in these hot months. It's time to offer the animals the cooling and shade they deserve and at the same time make your own experiences in the zoo pleasant. The various approaches in Germany and Switzerland are promising and could serve as a model for future measures.