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Animals at Central Florida Zoo get extra care as temperatures drop

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Published  January 7, 2025 7:43pm EST
Seminole County
FOX 35 Orlando

Animals at Central Florida Zoo get extra care as temps drop

As cold weather sweeps across Florida, staff at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens are working to keep their animals safe and comfortable.

The Brief

    • Staff at the Central Florida Zoo are using heaters, heat lamps, and tarps to keep cold-sensitive animals like primates and rhinos warm as temperatures drop.
    • Some animals, like the Amur leopard, thrive in colder weather and require no extra precautions.
    • Preparations vary by species, with customized care ensuring all animals stay safe and comfortable.

SANFORD, Fla. - As cold weather sweeps across Florida, staff at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens are working to keep their animals safe and comfortable.

Signs around the zoo highlight the efforts to protect animals during the chilly conditions. For example, Coral, a two-toed sloth, has temporarily left her outdoor enclosure to enjoy the warmth of a heater indoors.

"When it gets to about 40 degrees, like it will tonight, our primates are ushered inside to their dens," said Chris Torge, director of animal operations at the zoo. "We also use different types of heat lamps, heat pads, and forced-air heaters for our animals."

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Some animals require more care than others in cold weather. PJ, a temperature-sensitive rhino, stays warm under large propane heaters and a tarp when temperatures fall below 40 degrees.

However, not all animals mind the cold. The zoo’s Amur leopard thrives in cooler weather, as the species hails from the frigid regions between China and Russia.

Zoo staff customize preparations based on each species’ needs, with some animals requiring little to no extra heat.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

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