Beijing Zoo creative in keeping animals warm in winter
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E-mail People's Daily, December 2, 2015
This winter is cold in Beijing. Data released by local meteorological department show that in late November, the average maximum temperature hit a record low of 0.1 degrees Celsius. Human has down coats, snow boots and heating system to fend against the cold, but how the animals in the zoo keep warm, especially those from the tropical zone? In Beijing Zoo, the staff has been creative in keeping the animals warm.
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In Beijing Zoo, a feeder feeds the gorilla with traditional Chinese medicine soup that can prevent colds on Nov. 30.(Photo/Legal Evening News) |
This year, Beijing Zoo took cold protection measures ahead of schedule due to the weather. As China's biggest zoo, Beijing Zoo covers an area of 90 hectares and keeps about 500 species of rare wild animals and the total number of animals is over 5,000. According to the animal experts of the zoo, as the weather turns cold, animals are venerable to diseases such as cold and pneumonia, so the precaution measures must in place.
On Nov. 30, the reporter saw a feeder feed the gorilla with traditional Chinese medicine soup that can prevent colds in the gorilla house.
Zhang Yaohua, vice head of the feeding team, told the reporter, the zoo has three "treasures" to keep animals warm: hot rock, heated floor and bath heater.
Observant visitors may find out that in winter, several lizards love to stay on one rock. It is not an ordinary rock, but a hot rock.
However, hot rock is too small for big animals such as elephants. So in the elephant house, they have installed heated floor, which is both warm and able to bear the weight.
As to the inactive turtles and trionychidaes, the "contacting" heating methods are not applicable. So they are warmed by bath heater. So if you see an elephant tortoise lies under a bath heater, don't be surprised.
The experts of Beijing Zoo said that because of the cold weather, many animals will not show up in their outdoor playground. Visitors can see the animals indoor through the glass wall.
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