What does the zoo do with animals in winter?

Myth busted: I won't see any animals in the winter A lot of Zoo animals choose to go outside in the winter. Dens, heated rocks and other exhibit features help them stay comfortable, even in the rain and snow. The Zoo also has heated, indoor exhibits that keep animals (and visitors) warm on cold winter days.



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While some animals may not be viewable to guests during the winter months, and some are visible year-round, every animal has an indoor facility and also has the option to enjoy the outdoors as well (with the exception of our cold-blooded friends who prefer the indoors).

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Usually, the elephants choose to remain outdoors. The indoor area is equipped with large sand beds that provide a soft place for the elephants to sleep when they are inside. Additionally, large industrial freezer flaps hang over the elephants' door to the outside.

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Species at the zoo are still active during the cold months, especially those suited to cool climates.

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“You're going to want to come on a warmer day,” Adrienne Sebade said, a zookeeper. “A day where it's around 45 or 50 degrees because that's when most things are going to be out. If it's a day where it is 20 or 30 degrees, nothing is going to be out.”

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In their bedrooms, holding areas, we have kinda beds of hay for them to sleep in. More than 500 animals get escorted inside every night. They get their food, the main part of their diet in there, said Fisher. Animals take more naps and generally do sleep longer than humans.

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Broadly, some elephant experts say urban zoos simply don't have the space that African elephants, who roam extensive distances in the wild to forage for hundreds of pounds of vegetation each day, need for a normal life.

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Pepper Family Wildlife Center provides many environmental choices for the lions, including both embedded heating (in the form of heated rocks) and cooling elements. On a cool day, chances are you'll spot the pride lounging on the heated rocks in their habitat.

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Elephants in circuses and roadside zoos are denied everything that gives their life meaning. Many become neurotic, unhealthy, depressed, and aggressive as a result of the inhumane conditions in which they're kept.

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You can have a unique experience with an elephant at 72 AZA-accredited zoos. Visit any of these AZA-accredited zoos today to learn more about elephants, how the zoo is contributing to conservation and what you can do to help.

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Wild: Wild elephants have long life spans and typically live 60 to 70 years of age. Captive: Captive elephants have significantly lower life spans than their wild counterparts and are usually dead before the age of 40.

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MYTH 4: Animals in Zoos are happy. Animals in captivity across the globe have been documented displaying signs of anxiety and depression. In fact, psychological distress in zoo animals is so common that it has its own name: Zoochosis.

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The unwanted adult animals are sometimes sold to “game” farms where hunters pay to kill them; some are killed for their meat and/or hides. Other “surplus” animals may be sold to smaller, more poorly run zoos or, worse, to laboratories for experiments.

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