As the heat rolls in, BPZOO gets creative with keeping Guests, Staff and Animals cool
New Bedford, Massachusetts: Sprinklers, misters, and frozen treats – all great ways to keep cool during
extreme summer heat; and these are just a few of the measures that animal care staff at Buttonwood
Park Zoo will be taking to ensure everyone can keep cool during this week’s predicted high
temperatures.

While water features, such as pools, hoses, sprinklers, and misters, are a great way to keep animals cool,
some BPZOO residents prefer a mud wallow. Lounging in or covering themselves in mud is a way for
some animals to regulate body temperature and keep cool. Mud wallows can help keep an animal
cooler for longer compared to taking a dip in the water.

“Some of our more prominent residents, such as our female Asian elephants Emily and Ruth, have a
variety of ways to cool off when the temperatures rise”, says Acting Buttonwood Park Zoo Director,
Shara Rapoza. “If you visit on a hot day, or check out some of our social media posts, you might see
Emily, who is 58, taking a mud bath, while Ruth, now 63, dusts next to her.”

Some of the animals, such as our red pandas, have a harder time tolerating high temperatures and may
retreat to their indoor, climate-controlled environments. They will return to their outdoor habitats when
the temperatures are less extreme.

Additionally, animal care staff will be planning a variety of ice inspired enrichment – everyone likes a
frozen treat on a hot day! Every habitat within the Zoo is designed to provide the animals with options
and choices. Whether that means choosing a location where they can stay cool or by choosing to
interact with enrichment items with an icy twist – no matter what the animals are up to this week, they
will certainly be given every option to beat the heat.

Animals aren’t the only ones who need to be mindful of high temperatures at BPZOO this week. To help
keep guests, volunteers and staff cool, there will be additional hydration stations spread around the
seven-acre campus. The Bear’s Den Café will be serving cold drinks, popsicles, and ice cream. BPZOO
members can get free freeze pops during their visit on Friday, July 22nd
.