A zoo in Taiyuan of north China's Shanxi Province is taking measures to keep the animals warm as temperature in the city falls around 10 degrees Celsius.
Elephants, hippos, chimpanzees and giraffes and other animals from tropical and subtropical areas in the zoo cannot withstand cold, so in most cases they will stay indoor in winter and only walk round in the open air for short time if the weather is warm and sunny.
To shield these animals from cold weather, the zoo has installed heated facilities and provided them with high-calorie food.
"The temperature of the Giraffe pavilion in the zoo should be kept above 18 degrees Celsius and about 20 degrees Celsius all year round. In terms of diet, we will add some warming, high-calorie ingredients like soybeans and dates to the porridge prepared for the giraffes," said Zhang Peipei, a zookeeper.
In addition to heating facilities and special diet, the zookeepers have also implemented measures to keep animals warm and comfortable in cold according to their habits.
Reptiles are highly sensitive to temperature and sunshine, so the zoo has installed full-spectrum sunlight lamps in their pavilion that can heat the environment while mimic natural sunlight to support their metabolism process.
For elephants and hippos, which prefer sunlight, their pavilions feature a "panoramic skylight" design that blocks cold winds and rain while allowing sunlight to shine through.
Zoo in Shanxi takes multiple moves to shield animals from cold weather
