Protection against heat in our Zoo
The heat is exhausting not only for humans but also for animals.
The Nyíregyháza Zoo is very fortunate because it is located in an oak forest, so there are shady trees in all enclosures, and of course the automatic drinkers and the wallowing places and pools for some animals also serve the comfort of the animals who wish to cool off.
The majority of the 5,000 animals that live here are native to exotic landscapes where the heat is normal, but even they are more active in the morning and late afternoon hours.
In such hot days, wallowing is the favourite pastime of our thick-skinned animals, which in addition to cool them is also useful as the mud on their skin gives protection not only against the parasites but also against the sun’s rays.
Cooling the elephants with water jet does not just happen during the heat, though in such weather the elephant caretakers pamper their huge pets with a refreshing shower much more often.
The caretakers offer fruity ice cream to the primates, the gorillas, the orangutans, the gibbons and the lemurs on hot days, while the seals and the bears get frozen fish in ice cubes as a delicacy.
photo: MTI Attila Balázs
