Too cold for the penguins?

Try telling them that. Those at Colchester Zoo love the sub-zero temperatures. So do the sealions.

While the monkeys and chimps refuse to leave the warmth of their indoor retreats, the Humble penguins and sealions have been basking in the frost.

“It may have been cold during the day, but it has been sunny,” said Stephanie Kaye, the zoo’s communications and development assistant. “Our penguins and sealions always swim in cold water so they are used to low temperatures, and the penguins may be native to Chile and Peru in South America, but they can easily adapt to the cold.”

So can the sealions. They are able to thrive in Arctic and tropical climates and everything in-between.

But other animals are feeling the chill. Even before the temperature plummeted to minus 10C in north Essex a couple of nights ago, the zoo had taken all birds “off show”. This means they are indoors where we can’t see them.

“The birds are much more susceptible to the cold,” she said, “as are reptiles. Our snakes and lizards are already in specially-heated areas and, when the temperature drops as it has over this past week, we turn up the heating.”

The birds aren’t the only creatures to be taken indoors. The zoo’s elephants, rhinos and giraffes – built for hot, dry climates – are under cover, too.

“They are not really equipped for the cold, but that isn’t the only reason we have taken them inside,” said Ms Kaye. “They do not cope with ice at all well. If they walk on ice, they slip and could fall. Because of their size, such a fall could be nasty.”

While the primates beat a hasty retreat, the meerkats, who hale from the Kalahari Desert in Botswana (40C on a good day), were made of sterner stuff.

“The meerkats were out in the snow on Monday,” she revealed. “The temperature didn’t seem to bother them at all.”

It didn’t seem to bother the tigers either. This is understandable for the Amur tigers, not so for Sasha, the white Bengal tiger. If she were living in her native Bangladesh or India, she would be strolling through grasslands, tropical rain forests or scrub forests in temperatures which rarely drop below 35C.

But Sasha hasn’t been huddled in her den. She may not have been as enamoured with the snow as the Amur tigers – these are Siberian tigers and used to temperatures of -40C – but she has still been out and about.

“The tigers really have delighted visitors with their antics in the snow,” said Ms Kaye. “But they don’t have to be outdoors. We take every necessary precaution to make sure all our animals are safe and warm. It’s simply that they really like this weather!”

It takes £26,000 a day to run Colchester Zoo. This includes the heating bill, which will be a lot higher this quarter, and the food and bedding for the zoo’s 3,000 animals.

The zoo is big. It covers 60 acres which is turned into a white wonderland when the frost hits. It may look pretty, but the bottom line is keeping all the animals happy, not just the penguins.

KEEP YOUR PETS WARM - AND SAFE

The RSPCA is urging people to take special care of their animals during the cold weather.

  • Dogs with thin or sparse coats, who are very young or old, may benefit from a coat when out exercising. Two or three shorter walks may be enjoyed more than one long expedition. For safety, keep dogs well away from ponds and lakes that are iced over
  • Cats must always be able to find suitable warmth and shelter, so make sure they are not shut outside for prolonged periods of time
  • Outdoor pets need plenty of bedding to snuggle in for warmth and must be able to stay dry and draught-free. Horses and ponies must always have access to shelter and will need plenty of fresh water and, in some cases, a rug or extra food
  • Fish ponds should be checked daily to ensure the water has not frozen.

If it has, place a saucepan of hot water on the surface to gently melt the ice, or use products available from garden centres to maintain an air hole through which pond dwellers can breathe. Never smash the ice or pour boiling water directly into the pond as this can shock and kill fish.