Some Denver Zoo Animals Need Special Treatment During The Cold Snap
By Mark Taylor
DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Zoo is taking extra precautions to keep their animals safe during this stretch of cold weather.
With temperatures well below freezing many animals are kept indoors, while others can handle the cold weather with a few extra provisions.
"Some of the animals we have to lock up until temperatures come up," said Rick Haeffner, a curator at the zoo.
Animals like cheetahs and hyenas are given hay beds and heated rocks.
"They are artificial concrete rocks and inside those are heated cables," Haeffner said.
Giraffes must be brought indoors once the temperatures drop below 40 degrees because they're not built to handle the cold.
"More importantly for the giraffes is the snow on the ground. It thaws and freezes into ice, so it's a slip hazard," Haeffner said.
Cold weather animals must also get extra attention. They are given extra food and their water is kept around 44 to 50 degrees.
"The water temperature can actually get lower than what they're used to in the wild," Haeffner added.
As winter continues, zoo staff say they take every precaution to keep animals safe until the temperatures warm back up.
LINK: Denver Zoo
Mark Taylor is a weekend morning anchor and reporter with CBS4 news covering a wide variety of stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkTaylor_TV.