How the Maryland Zoo protects animals during extreme heat
The Maryland Zoo is home to more than 50 different species of animals from all over the world. While some of them are used to extreme heat, others are not so much.
Therefore, the zoo has all kinds of protocols in place to make sure that all 1,800 animals stay cool and healthy.
Red pandas
You wouldn't have found a red panda in sight if you had visited The Maryland Zoo on Friday, despite having air-conditioned logs, shaded areas, and temperature-controlled water bowls.
"The first choice the animals have is the choice of whether to be outside or whether to be inside where it's cool and air-conditioned. So right now, the red pandas are exercising that choice," Mike Evitts, Director of Communications at the Maryland Zoo, said.
Evitts says especially for animals like red pandas, who are naturally found in cold weather, it's important that they can stay cool all summer, especially when the temperatures reach over 100 degrees.
"Unlike people, most animals do not sweat. So, they can deal with hot temperatures in a couple of different ways. Obviously, they can drink water. They exchange hot air through panting and breathing like your dog at home might. They also just lie down. They don't move much; they stay in the shade, and they conserve their core temperature to try and keep their body temperature low," Evitts explained.
African Elephants
On the other hand, African Elephants are accustomed to the heat.
"They've lived in Maryland for many years, so we like to call them our Maryland elephants," Sarah Balzer, a zookeeper, told WJZ's Ashley Paul.
Tuffy, the 44-year-old African Elephant, was loving the water cannon on Friday, one of many ways he stays cool during the heat wave.
"The sand, the mud, they will put that all over their bodies, and that helps with bug repellent, all the nasty flies and everything, so that will help keep them from that. And it will act as a natural sunscreen too," Balzer added.
Elephants have many blood vessels behind their ears, so when they flap them, they can lower their body temperature by up to 10 degrees.
They also have the option to hang out in the mud wallows or swim.
Otters
That's what the otters had been doing all day.
"Obviously the otters have a really amazing pool of water and waterfalls and a lot of area to swim, but also if they want to dry out or want to use the restroom, they have lots of shore and sandy areas," Evitts said.
Otters also have hollow logs to lay in that are ventilated if they need a break from swimming but want to stay cool.
During the winter months, the zoo has a separate set of protocols to ensure the animals can stay warm and healthy.