Abilene Zoo prepares for winter weather with heated habitats and dedicated staff скачать в хорошем качестве

Abilene Zoo prepares for winter weather with heated habitats and dedicated staff

The recent freeze brought ice, sleet, and snow to the area, and it wasn’t just people at home who were affected. RELATED | Winter storm: School closures and delays in the Big Country and Concho Valley KTXS went to the Abilene Zoo to find out how they care for their animals during harsh winter conditions like these. "We've been preparing for this for the last couple of weeks," Abilene Zoo General Curator, Robert Trejo, said. "We took measures into place. We wanted to make sure that we had extra propane heaters ready, made available, heat lamps, straw, hay, anything that these animals might need just to make them a little warmer, a little bit more comfortable." Trejo said they also have heated indoor buildings for animals to move into, including the new Caribbean Cove exhibit. "In the past you wouldn't be able to see these animals," he said. "They'd be put away for the whole winter season, such as our sloths. A lot of our guests would come in and ask where the sloths are, where some of these other birds are. Of course, they're in the back in a nice warm area, but now you can actually see them. So having this opportunity is nice because you can see it's nice and warm here. It's temperature controlled. And the guests can still get a chance to see these animals." RELATED | Abilene Zoo unveils expanded Caribbean Cove with year-round access to exotic animals Despite the freezing weather, zoo staff still came in every day to care for the animals. "We got to make sure they get food and water," Trejo said. "So it's even though the city's shut down and the streets are kind of hard to drive, at least these keepers managed to get here." Trejo took us around the zoo to show us how these animals are still being cared for, despite the icy conditions. RELATED | ‘If it wasn’t for this place’: Abilene warming centers provide refuge from dangerous cold He said, in addition to keepers, veterinarians and other essential staff are also on site. "We also have maintenance on staff as well," Trejo said. "So if in case there's cracked pipes or the heaters somehow malfunction, we have people that are here who are able to turn them on and, and make sure that everything is functioning." RELATED | Check TXDOT traffic cameras for a current look around Abilene and West I-20 While some animals stay warm indoors, others are actually enjoying the cold. "They get what we call the zoomies," he said "You know, where they get a little excited and they start running around. That's always fun to watch." Animals such as the Bison and the Maine wolf were able to go outside and play in the snow. RELATED | Winter weather readiness: residents plan ahead to tackle the upcoming freeze "We do provide a shelter for them that they can at least get away from, you know, any heavy snow that they can go underneath, but they love playing in the snow," Trejo said. "It's new to them. It's kind of like when when people see the snow for the first time, they run around and they start building snowmen, having snowball fights. These animals are no different. They love to just wallow in it. They run around." As temperatures drop, extra precautions are taken to keep animals safe and warm through winter weather. DETAILS: https://ktxs.com/news/local/abilene-z... Follow us on other social media: KTXS News on Facebook   / ktxstelevision   KTXS News on X https://x.com/KTXS_News KTXS News on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ktxsnews/?h... For more information, visit https://ktxs.com/ Have a news tip? Send it to us at news@ktxs.com #zoo #animals #winter