Animals from family pets to exotic creatures at Potter Park Zoo need special care to cope with the potentially dangerous effects of the current heat wave, experts said this week.
Dogs should not be left outside unattended or tied up, and need to have constant access to fresh water, said Jackson County Animal Shelter Director Lydia Sattler.
She said it’s best to take them out in the early morning or late evening when it’s coolest outside.
“Try to not go outside during the prime, you know, mid-day hours, when it’s the hottest,” Sattler said.
Potter Park Zoo closed its petting farm at 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday to protect both animals and people from the mid-day sun.
Annie Marcum, lead keeper for carnivores and primates at Potter Park Zoo, said animals from the Northern Hemisphere — like their snow leopard and red pandas — are most vulnerable to the heat.
They’re keeping the animals cool this week with more time indoors, as well as misting with cold water, blocks or buckets of ice to sit on or play with and other strategies.
“We plan ahead, anytime we’re taking care of animals that might not be used to our normal temperatures,” Marcum said. “We plan beginning even before they get here for what happens when our environment exceeds what happens in their natural environment.”
