Saskatoon zoo manager says most animals there are paws-itively enjoying the heat, despite the smoke
Animals at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo are doing fine in the hot weather, and most of them are loving it despite the smoky conditions, zoo manager Jeff Mitchell said Monday.
"The zebras are excited about the heat, they love being out in this weather. Some animals are a little less excited about it. The snow leopard doesn't really love this weather as much," Mitchell said.
Marty, Shadow and Missy the zebras are enjoying the warm weather in their big yard at the Saskatoon zoo. (Don Somers/CBC)
Mitchell said most animals at the Saskatoon zoo have options to go inside, outside or into a pool.
"The bears have an indoor enclosure in the back that both of them, Mistaya and Coda, have the opportunity to go into to get out of the heat. It's definitely cooler back there and definitely not as smoky back there. They also have their pool that they use a lot," he said.
Mitchell said the snow leopard also has a choice to be inside or outside, but chooses to be outside most of the time. He also has sprinklers around him to keep him cool.
"We also give a lot of melons this type of year because they are full of water, to help keep them hydrated. We also take these large ceramic tiles that we freeze, and then we move those ceramic tiles around to different animal areas so the animals can lay on them," he said.
Jeff Mitchell, the zoo's manager, said birds including the bald eagle are comfortable with the heat and smoke right now, but if it gets worse they will be moved indoors. (Don Somers/CBC)
Mitchell said the smoke is a bit concerning for some animals, including the birds.
"We're keeping a really close eye and we've talked with our veterinarians already about what we can do for the health of the birds. If it starts to get really, really bad, we will pull the birds off the exhibit and move them indoors," he said.