Posted on Thursday, December 12th, 2024
How does animal care at the Zoo differ in winter? With species ranging from cold-loving to cold-loathing, it depends! For some animals, very little changes in their daily routine, while others adopt new schedules, feeding routines, and in some cases, new seasonal homes.
Cody and Cooper are well equipped for winter weather, but their schedule and habits change significantly during this season. They go into torpor, which is a state of decreased metabolic rate and body temperature that helps them conserve energy during a time when food tends to be scarce. “Most of the year, they each eat about 40 pounds of food a day,” Animal Keeper Katrina Mehlin-Botkin said, “but in the winter, that goes down to about five pounds a day.” The bears usually spend some time in their outdoor habitat each morning, gathering food the keepers have scattered for them to find, then retreat to their indoor space to rest. They get additional bedding in the winter to make their indoor den extra cozy.
African Elephant Crossing offers plenty of options for keeping the elephants comfortable and engaged through the winter. The herd has access to their outdoor habitat while the temperature remains above 30 degrees, allowing them to spend time outside if they choose. The outdoor spaces have a couple heaters, and the “night yard” in the back of the facility has a heated concrete pad that keeps it dry and clear of snow. On colder days the elephants prefer to stay indoors, and their care team prioritizes voluntary training, enrichment such as hanging browse, and regular baths and foot soaks. The building is also endlessly flexible, giving the keepers plenty of ways to configure the spaces and rotate the animals for variety. Don’t skip visiting the indoor elephant viewing area this winter!
Tom and Terry usually grace the habitat adjacent to the walkway behind the Primate, Cat and Aquatics building, but when the temperature drops, they head down the hill to spend the winter in the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine, where they enjoy a warm space with heated floors, a humidifier, their favorite foods, and regular showers.
This species of parrot endemic to the alpine region of New Zealand thrives in Northeast Ohio’s cold season. They don’t require any special accommodations to adjust to the weather, but they do need an open water source. To ensure that their water bowl doesn’t freeze over, keepers place it on a heated mat for the winter – and tuck the power cord safely within a PVC tube out of the reach of their long, curved, curious beaks. Another unique thing about kea is that winter is their breeding season, so keepers are on the lookout for eggs.
Plenty of other animals at the Zoo think winter is a wonderland. Here are just a few to look for next time you visit:
Takin are adapted to their wild habitat of the rugged Himalayas and can withstand extremely cold temperatures. Their oily skin, thick coats, and split hooves help them stay warm and navigate icy, rocky terrain.
Amur tigers are right at home in deep snow and frigid weather conditions. Their thick fur, large paws, and layer of fat keep them comfortable outdoors.
Red pandas’ adorable little bodies are built for winter. Every part of their body except the nose is covered in fur – even their paws. A double coat made of dense fur covered with thick hair keeps cold and moisture away from their skin. These animals have also evolved to have the ability for delayed implantation, meaning that if a female red panda has a fertilized egg, it may not implant in the uterus until conditions are ideal, preventing the baby from being born before temperatures begin to rise.
Snow leopards’ large paws work like snowshoes, and their long, fluffy tails wrap around them like a scarf for added warmth on top of their extremely dense fur.
Reindeer grow hollow fur that insulates their bodies and even have fur on their hooves to improve their grip. Their muzzles are specially adapted to regulate temperature, warming air as they inhale, and cooling it as they exhale to prevent clouds of vapor from freezing to their faces.
Bison are able to eat grasses year-round by using their large, wedge-shaped heads like a snowplow. Their thick coats keep them warm, and the dark color of their fur absorbs heat from the sun.