When the temperature rises, many of the animals at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo look for the coolest spot — and who can blame them? But visitors aren’t always pleased to see a lot of seemingly empty exhibits.
Zoo Supervisor Sara Hamlin said mornings are the best time of day for viewing animals, especially during the summer.
“They’ve just been fed and it’s the coolest part of the day,” she said. From 9-11 a.m. is when the animals are the most active.
“Once it hits 95 degrees, the animals have access to their indoor buildings, and that’s what they choose,” Hamlin said.
Sunny, the Bengal tiger, has access to an indoor pool and air conditioning set to 75 degrees.
“He does not like the heat at all,” Hamlin said. Sunny will turn 19 years old in September and that makes him an elderly tiger. “He’s in the phase of his life that he gets to have anything he wants.”
Frozen treats and plywood clouds
The zoo employees do what they can to help animals “beat the heat.”
“We have different strategies for different species,” Hamlin said. On really hot days, animals may enjoy some ice or a frozen treat. Some of the animals occasionally get a kiddie pool to play in.
Most of the animals have access to misters and sprinklers, set to go off according to their tastes. For example, lions and porcupines don’t particularly like to be hit by spraying water but don’t mind having some wet grass or mud to lie in, so zookeepers soak a spot for them in the morning.
Made in the shade
When they are outdoors, animals seek out the shady spots. However, recent storms knocked out some of the natural shade available. “We lost quite a few trees,” Hamlin said.
Over the past two summers, park employees have added more man-made shade to exhibits. Plywood “clouds” hang above exhibits to cast shadows. Look for them above the enclosures for the servals, ibises and grivets, for example.
Step inside
The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and there is always something to see and do, no matter what the weather. One suggestion for hot afternoons is to take a tip from the animals and move indoors.
The Ed Shed is climate-controlled and houses a number of smaller primates, snakes and aquarium animals.
The Raptor Center is also a good place to cool off while visiting the gift shop or learning more about birds of prey via its interactive exhibits.
