There's nothing quite like a quick snack on a triple-digit day, and if it is frozen, even better. At least that's what animals at Zoo to You in Paso Robles are eating to keep up with the heat.
“We made Wesley and a lot of the other animals some yummy ice treats,” said Lisa Jackson, the assistant director of Zoo to You.
This capybara also loves to go for a swim.
“I don’t think it’s so much that certain animals are like, 'Woohoo, it’s 110,' they just know how to handle it better than other animals,” said David Jackson, Zoo to You’s director, adding, “Obviously, our desert tortoises, our camels, our porcupines from the Sahara deserts of Africa.”
Porcupines Moe and Britney Spears have been on a mission to cool themselves off. Something that requires a stash of goodies.
“Last time we had a hot spell, 108-degree day, these two made themselves a den... It's 20 to 30 degrees cooler down there in their den,” explained Lisa. “These are one of the deepest-digging animals in like 70-feet tunnels in the wild.”
For desert tortoise Shelly, the key is to take naps unless there is watermelon involved.
But what happens with the animals that need help cooling down?
“We have to provide year-round temperature control, we have to keep some animals between 65 and 85 at all times,” added David. “They're just in a controlled environment constantly.”
We checked in with zoo celebrity Route, the monkey who called 911 last month, and she is enjoying the heat with the help of a pool and watermelon.
“A capuchin monkey and her friend crazy they both live in a climate-controlled enclosure, they have an indoor and outdoor, so they can go inside where it’s abut 70 degrees with the air conditioner or they can come outside and enjoy the sun,” said Lisa.
David said the big thing on hot days is checking on their personnel.
“Constantly harp on our keepers to drink water, it’s the biggest thing around here,” said David.
On hot days, David said they give visitors the option to come in the morning instead of the afternoon to beat the heat.
