Naples Zoo prepares animal habitats for cold weather

NAPLES, Fla.—Naples Zoo is taking steps to ensure its animals stay warm as cold temperatures approach. The zoo is providing fresh blankets to the orangutans and gibbons to help them through the chilly weekend.

"It's fun to watch them play with them, put them around themselves, keep themselves warm," said Caroline Wider, an animal care professional for primates. "You don't see birds wrapping themselves in blankets."

The zoo's animal care professionals are dedicated to going above and beyond industry standards to keep the animals comfortable.

"It's definitely something we have to keep in mind daily, but also weekly," said Wider. "We look at the weather weeks ahead just to make sure we have all the preparations we need in case we have to add extra resources in."

Ectoderms, animals that rely on external sources for warmth, have special heated enclosures. The Burmese pythons, which are invasive in southwest Florida, have access to a heated pool, sunbathing spots, and heated mats hidden under leaves.

"This habitat provides a way for our guests to be able to see what they look like, sort of natural habitat," said Katie Keck, an animal care professional for ectoderms. "And so we have signage that explains why they're invasive and why they are doing damage to our habitat."

For animals with outdoor habitats, the zoo offers heated boxes or indoor spaces to provide a safe environment from the cold.

As new animals arrive each winter, the zoo faces unique challenges. Recently, the mongoose lemurs, Snuffy and Consuela, rejected their heated box. In response, animal care professionals created a heated tree house using a kennel heater.

"A lot of trial and error. Every primate has their own little cute personality, so just trying to see what they like," said an animal care professional named Molly. "As soon as it was put up, and this morning when we came out, they were tucked away in there. And the heat, even when we pulled up with you guys, they were back in there after their breakfast, staying warm."