WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — Malayan tigers and Aldabra tortoises are native to warm, humid regions, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy a frozen treat on a hot Florida summer day.
Temperatures in South Florida this month have reached the upper 90s Fahrenheit (mid 30s Celsius) with 70 percent humidity, resulting in a wind chill that regularly exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
Palm Beach Zoo Staff & Conservation Society uses several techniques to keep their animals cool. Zookeepers throw large piles of ice into the black bear enclosure so the animals can roll around in it and cool their bath to 74 F (23 C). The otters are given blocks of ice and frozen fish to play with and eat in their water.
Tigers feast on even more ingenious treats: they are given frozen cow bones stuffed into blocks of ice, along with a portion of frozen goat’s milk. The big cats also like to swim.
Giant tortoises, native to the islands of the Indian Ocean, enjoy the cool showers of a snake, which they can feel through their shell.
“Although all of our animals are used to the South Florida weather, they are just like us looking for ways to cool off during the hot days,” said Mike Terrell, the zoo’s curator of animal experiences. “All of our animals that we have here at the zoo are specifically chosen because they are used to hot climates. And so they are perfectly happy in an environment that has lots and lots of heat and lots of humidity.”
Zoo visitors love watching the animals cool off, and children press their faces against the glass to get a better view, Terrell said.
“We love his nose prints,” Terrell said.
He says it takes some trial and error to figure out which cooling activities the animals like.
“They really tell us what they like,” Terrell said. “We can take our best guess, but if we give them something they don’t like or don’t interact with, we’re not going to keep giving it to them.”
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Terry Spencer, Associated Press editor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.