This week's extreme heat has seen extra measures put in place at the Wagga Zoo & Aviary to ensure the health and wellbeing of the animals.
As is Council's policy, the zoo closes when it reaches 40 degrees to allow the staff to prioritise the animals and ensure they are able to stay cool and hydrated.
This week the decision was made in advance to close the zoo to the public at 12pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday due to the forecast of 41 – 42 degrees on each of these days.
Zookeeper Josh Thompson said the staff monitor all 50 of the animals at the zoo, ensuring they have everything they need to stay cool.
"Shutting our gates at 12pm allows us to manage behind the scenes, so we can turn on all of our sprinkler systems and take ice buckets to the enclosures to keep the animals cool," Mr Thompson said.
"We have a lot of Australian native animals here, which is good as they are used to our hardy climate, but we will closely watch lot of our bird species, being a smaller creature the heat affects them a lot more.
"All of our enclosures have trees and ample shade, and the animals are well looked after."
When asked how Josh would recommend pet owners help their pets manage the hot weather, he had some tips:
"Offer plenty of shade, a fresh source of water and some ice. Also, watermelon is a tasty treat for smaller animals and helps keeps them hydrated."
Aside from getting their tasks done early in the morning before it gets too hot, the staff at the zoo manage their own health and wellbeing during hot weather by reapplying sunscreen every 45-50 minutes, drinking plenty of water, wearing sun protection, avoiding being in the sun where possible and taking ample breaks.
The Wagga Zoo & Aviary is open 9am – 4pm every day of the school holidays, with animal encounters held each day at 10am.
