AL AIN // It’s hot, you’re caught outside, you simply don’t know how to stand still – and you’re wearing a fur coat.
All told, conditions are not ideal for weathering summer temperatures in the UAE.
But of course, keepers at Al Ain Zoo have the whole thing figured out. Their charges are given ice blocks containing fresh fruit, or even fish, and there are special enclosures that are equipped with air-conditioning or mist sprays.
For the monkeys, fruits with high water content are needed in the ice because, by their very nature, they have to monkey around.
Without all of these measures the animals would face dehydration, heat stroke or disease, says Myyas Al Qarqaz of Al Ain Zoo.
“We struggle against the heat to keep animals healthy and active,” says Dr Al Qarqaz.
“Some of the animal facilities are also provided with misting systems to cool them down during the hottest part of the day,” says the zoo’s animal collection manager.
“In extreme cases, we take animals to the air-conditioned facilities if required and replace them with more tolerant species. We do this for some parrot species.”
Many other animals just sleep through most of the summer months. The lions will sleep up to 19 hours a day during the season and only become active at night.
But not all animals can adapt easily and the ones that are not accustomed to high temperatures may face serious health problems if they are not provided with adequate cooling.
“Dehydration is also common among newborns during summer months, while for birds heat stress can lead to them losing feathers and fungal infections,” says Dr Al Qarqaz.
“In the summer, animals tend to be lazy and avoid movement unless it is necessary. This behaviour is definitely affecting the visitors’ experience because they cannot see animals properly.
“Heat stress can also cause aggression between males and consequently serious injuries and mortalities.”
The enclosure that needs to be kept coolest is home to the penguins.
“Penguins require very cold environment, but it does depends on the species,” Dr Al Qarqaz says. “The Humboldt penguin that we have is relatively more tolerant to heat than other penguin species, and even it needs an efficient cooling system and high maintenance.
“If the temperature goes up due to any defect in the AC system, then this can lead to a serious issue and losing birds, therefore it requires a huge amount of maintenance, cleaning and monitoring.”
Some of the 197 species of creatures in the zoo don’t mind a bit of heat.
The Arabian sandcat, Arabian leopard and Arabian oryx are indigenous to the region.
arizvi2@thenational.ae
