Zoo animals brave the cold snap: chimps sip ginger soup, baby panda rolls on belly

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The recent days of damp, chilly weather below 10°C have been unbearable, and zoo animals have reacted very differently to the cold snap. The Taipei City Zoo reported that since the cold front hit Taiwan on the 10th, the park recorded a low of 6.1°C. In addition to turning on heaters in many enclosures, the zoo staff even brewed ginger soup for the chimpanzees to keep warm. Meanwhile, the giant panda cub Yuan Zai gets more "excited" the colder it gets, sprawling across its perch and showing off its pale belly.

▲Different animals react differently to the cold. (Photo / Provided by Taipei City Zoo)

The zoo noted that the cold snap came quickly and fiercely. The zoo has activated animal cold-protection measures. The "grandpa-level" western lowland gorilla Hei Pi stays indoors all day. Keepers not only serve him ginger soup but also spread coconut shavings and licorice on the ground, and turn on electric heaters to keep the gorillas warm. As for the chimpanzees, they sip ginger soup to warm up. Among them, the chimp "Li Ren" loves ginger soup the most—seeing the keeper holding it, she moves her hands however she can to get it.

Despite the low temperatures, the adorable baby panda Yuan Zai is quite happy, remaining just as active and climbing up and down its perch to play. Zoo officials said that in this kind of cold weather, the happiest animals are temperate species like pandas, brown bears, and gray wolves, as they all have thick fur to protect them from the cold.

The animals in the zoo that need the most insulation are the reptiles. No matter how low the outdoor temperature drops, the reptile enclosures must be maintained at around 25°C. For aquatic reptiles, quartz heating tubes are used in the water, while on land, heat lamps, night lights, ceramic heaters, and hidden heating pads are employed to keep turtles, lizards, and snakes active during the winter.

The zoo reminds visitors that although the weather is damp and cold, it’s the perfect time to visit the zoo and see the adorable ways animals cope with the cold snap. For example, cold-sensitive koalas will curl up into balls, while baby koalas snuggle in their mothers’ warm pouches, occasionally poking their heads out.

▲A cold-sensitive koala curls up into a ball. (Photo / Provided by Taipei City Zoo)