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Bornean orangutan playing with a blanket at ZooTampa during the cold front
Bornean orangutan playing with a blanket at ZooTampa during a cold front (Courtesy: ZooTampa).
TAMPA, Fla. - The Bay Area is experiencing a cold front, with temperatures dipping into the high 30s and low 40s over the last week.
Tampa Bay residents aren’t alone in seeking warmer clothing and warmer temperatures: The animals at ZooTampa are too.
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Tortoise staying warm in nighthouse at ZooTampa
Tortoise staying warm in nighthouse at ZooTampa (Courtesy: ZooTampa).
ZooTampa is prepared to keep the animals warm during Tampa Bay’s winter. The zoo's animal care teams are rolling out cold weather protocols to keep animals warm.
READ: How cold will it get? Arctic air arrives in Florida
They say animals will be given extra bedding such as hay and blankets, and extra heat lamps will be placed in their homes. This is in addition to the animals' access to their usual heated nighthouses.
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Panther staying warm on extra hay bedding at ZooTampa
Panther staying warm on extra bedding at ZooTampa (Courtesy: ZooTampa).
Different animals have different needs in dealing with colder temperatures, forcing the zoo to give out different types of materials to different animals living there.
For example, ZooTampa said Bornean orangutans received blankets to wrap themselves in, while the giraffes have a newly constructed heated barn. Manatees stay warm in heated pools, while giant tortoises stay warm with heated lamps.
Photos of Bornean orangutans staying warm:
Komodo dragons, for their part, are not allowed outside unless temperatures reach the mid-50s because they cannot regulate their body heat. At the same time, animals like bears and tigers enjoy the cold and show increased activity when temperatures dip.
"A significant part of our cold-weather protocol involves ensuring that each animal is warm and comfortable in their nighthouses and that all heating elements are functioning properly," said Tiffany Burns, senior director of animal programs at the zoo. "On particularly cold days, the animals have the option to stay indoors with heat lamps, bedding hay, and plenty of enrichment activities to keep them occupied."
View more photos and videos of the animals keeping warm:
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Tortoises keeping warm under radiated heaters at ZooTampa.
Tortoises keeping warm under radiated heaters at ZooTampa (Courtesy: ZooTampa).
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Heated manatee medical pools at ZooTampa
Heated manatee medical pools at ZooTampa (Courtesy: ZooTampa).
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Manatee in a pool at ZooTampa.
Manatee in a pool at ZooTampa (Courtesy: ZooTampa).
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