Imagine the heat index over 100 degrees and you have to be outside all the time. Now imagine that you are about 500 pounds and wearing a large and heavy fur coat during that time. Do you think you might be a little hot, maybe even about to pass out! That is what it can sometimes feel like to these animals, especially if they are not used to this weather! Tigers are definitely not born to live in this hot weather, they are more of a cold winter-loving animal while lions love the heat but not the humid kind, more so the dry heat. In order to help these animals stay comfortable, we come up with many fun and exciting ways to help keep these animals cool and relaxed during the extreme heat.
One way we can help them cool off is by popsicles! Now I guarantee you would not want to taste one of their popsicles because they are definitely not all fruity like ours. For the cats, we will sometimes put meat in them and call them meat-sicles or blood from a butchered cow and call them blood-sicles! With the bears, they do get some tasty popsicles at times though with a whole bunch of fun fruit!
We also enjoy giving these animals a chance to soak in their pools! We have a few permanent in-ground pools and are currently in the process of getting others out there. In the meantime, we have metal stock tanks/troughs that the cats love to jump in and relax a bit. We will even give them some bubble baths and they will go crazy for bubbles, especially Snowball!
The last way we can keep them cool is by giving them a “shower.” No, we do not go in there with these animals and wash them down! We stand outside of their habitat with a hose, turn it on, and aim! We are able to shower them with water like a sprinkler! Some cats love extreme intensities with the full pressure hitting their side, while others love a light misting as they stand nearby. There are even some cats that love to chase and chomp at the water as well!
Next time you’re out here at Turpentine Creek and it is extremely hot, be on the lookout for anything they might have to keep cool! Check out our YouTube channel to see fun videos of our cats really enjoying their cool summer fun!
Fun YouTube Videos of Summer Activities!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooiog53CB9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n457MLXdYxI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ERAnx9B0I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLpQqKKB048