Wildlife Safari animals not letting cold weather get them down
By Katie Boer KPIC NewsWINSTON, Ore. -- Winter weather and rain may shut down some zoos or theme parks, but for many rare animals in Winston, it's just another day at the Safari, but dropping temperatures and colder weather present some cause for concern. MultimediaIn the winter months, the Wildlife Safari has to pay special attention to meet the needs of their animals, and with last week's cold spell, they had their hands full. "The bears are pretty good, they have such good insulation. For a lot of the large carnivores, we're just adding extra bedding, boarding windows down, turning up the heat lamps and then just compensating around the park," said Carnivores Supervisor Sarah Roy. Several ponds around the park froze over, particularly in the primate exhibit that is surrounded by water. Animals were locked in their buildings until conditions improved, in case the primates tried to walk across the ice. Park staff say that if you can handle the chilly temperatures, experiencing the park during winter months may give you a unique opportunity to observe animals you wouldn't normally see. "The neat thing about winter, when its not freezing, days like today when its forty degrees out, the animals actually prefer the cooler weather. In the summer, come mid-day, and 90% of animals are going to try to hide in the shade spot, get out of that heat, get out of the sun, where right now they're all out grazing. You have a lot better visibility of just, seeing more animals out on exhibit," said Roy. December through February are slower months for the Wildlife Safari, but they still encourage visitors into the park to see how animals behave in winter months. |
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February 9, 2012
- Roseburg, Oregon
