Animals at Forestry Farm keeping cool, even during extreme heat

By Halyna Mihalik

Your favourite zoo animals may be hiding from the hot weather this summer.

As temperatures continue to rise, cool-down strategies are being implemented to help animals at Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm cope.

“Some of the animals get a little affected by the heat,” said zoo manager Jeff Mitchell.

“We’re very much about animal choice, so all of our animals have the option to go inside where it’s cooler.”

The zoo is also providing animals with ponds and pools for their enclosures, Mitchell explained, and sprinklers will also be turned on regularly.

Most of the animals at the zoo have actually been thriving with the hot weather and aren’t bothered by it, Mitchell noted. However, he said, some animals are used to a colder climate – like snow leopards and the pallas’s cat – so they aren’t fans of the heat.

“Sometimes when people come out here, they may not be able to see the snow leopard, and that’s because it’s taking its choice to go inside,” said Mitchell.

The Forestry Farm is happy to accommodate animals with any habitat they require, explained Mitchell. He said by helping to regulate their temperature in the climate they are meant for, animals can showcase their natural abilities for guests.

“They have the opportunities to regulate their temperature and get into environments that they like,” said Mitchell.