Chiang Mai Zoo keeps animals warm amid dropping temperatures
Zoo located near of a mountain and therefore experiences sharp temperature drops at night
The Chiang Mai Zoo is implementing measures to keep its animals warm and healthy, including installing heat lamps and giving them vitamins as the temperature in the northern province drops to around 10 degrees Celsius.
The zoo in Chiang Mai’s Muang district is located near the foot of a mountain and therefore experiences sharp temperature drops at night and in early morning, zoo director Wutthichai Muangman said on Tuesday.
To combat cold weather that could affect the animals’ health, zoo officials have installed heat lamps and lined animal habitats with additional layers of hay, especially those that sleep on the floor such as animals in the deer family, reptiles, and domestic monkeys, he said.
Animals were also given vitamins and food supplements to keep them healthy and resilient to the changing weather, he added.
In certain habitats, such as turtles’, shelters have been built to protect the animals against chilly winds.
Wutthichai said the zoo used 16 canisters of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) per day to fuel a boiler that keeps the water temperature in the aquarium between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius.
He added that zoo officials will closely monitor exotic animals that are sensitive to temperature, such as macaws and sulcata tortoises, as well as provide extra heat lamps and hay to make sure they are not getting sick during the cold season.
