Zoo Miami helps inhabitants cool off during summer heat
MIAMI - South Florida is no stranger to hot summers but this year the heat has been difficult to deal with.
No matter how much water we're drinking, the weather has been downright oppressive. We're not the only ones feeling the heat, the animals are feeling it too.
At Zoo Miami in southwest Miami-Dade, some of them hide in the shade to beat the heat or stick to the water.
The extreme temperatures are nothing to mess with, according to Ron Magill, Zoo Miami's communications director and resident animal expert.
"It's extraordinarily hot. The problem is it's not as hot one day. It's consecutive days of heat, which really is dangerous," Magill said.
Just like humans, animals can overheat and that can lead to serious issues, so zoo staff is keeping a watchful eye.
"You know if we see extraordinary panting or if we see an animal all the sudden lose coloration in the mouth, the tongue, you see the signs of dehydration, we know the signs and something needs to be done," said Magill.
These are wild animals used to living outside from places where the temperatures soar.
"These animals are adapted to the environment. You know we don't have any polar bears are penguins here. These are all subtropical or tropical animals, so they've adapted to the environment, so they know how to survive in this type of heat, having said that it's still kind of extreme," said Magill.
So they are helping too to keep the animals cool.
The bears get a "bearsicle", a frozen treat filled with fruit and worms. Other animals get hosed off or even get ice baths.
Not only do the animals get to cool off, but they also are stimulated.
"So all these things are done as enrichment. Not only does it keep the animal cool, but it stimulates them physically and mentally," said Magill.
The goal is to keep the animals and even the humans safe and comfortable during our extreme summer heat.
