NEW ORLEANS – It’s averaging around 90 degrees this week and our friends at Audubon Zoo are getting pretty hot!
We’re not talking about humans, we mean animals! Assistant Curator, Lindsay Ezell, says the zoo is built for temperatures like this.
“All of our exhibits actually have shade built into them in some way whether it’s natural vegetation. So, if you’re coming in the heat of the summer, be sure to look in the shady areas when you’re trying to find our animals in their enclosures.”
You can also find them taking a cool dip in the water or laying low in the shadows.
“Our armadillo in our ambassador area– you can actually see her often in muddy water” Lindsey shared. “She loves to just get wet and she’ll roll around completely. You see her whole belly and she’s just in that little mud puddle having the time of her life.”
Careful! These animals can overheat if the shaded temperatures go over 100 degrees.
“We’ve got some animals who pant. Other animals, you know, like I said, spread their wings out so there are just lots of things that we monitor closely.”
The Assistant Curator also told WGNO, if it gets too hot out, most animals will be brought inside. “They don’t get out in the heat of the day. That’s when a lot of animals like to sleep so just be patient and be appreciative of getting to see the animal in these habitats. Yeah, just be patient with us and know that if we’re hot, they’re hot.”
The Audubon Zoo also feeds their animals chilled fruits and treats that help cool them off!
