Philadelphia Zoo Gets Ready For Winter Storm
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's not just humans that need to prepare for snowstorms. The keepers of animals at the Philadelphia Zoo need to make sure all creatures are comfortable.
Vic Dewan, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Zoo, says some animals are sensitive to weather extremes.
"And they each have a very strict set of rules as it relates to weather," said Dewan.
He says keepers are working to secure the indoor facilities of those who will need to find refuge from this weekend's snowstorm.
"The animals that would not do very well in the cold would be the animals that are largely from the African continent -- giraffe, hippos, rhino, and then also the primates; gorillas, because primates are largely like us and once the temperature gets down below 40, 32 degrees or so, gorillas, orangutans, all of those go indoors."
Meanwhile, he suspects the polar bears, Siberian tigers, Siberian leopards and other animals that hail from cold climate regions will be welcoming the storm and playing in the snow.