How Our Animals Stay Cool

The heat, or the dog days of summer, hasn’t caught our Zoo unprepared. After all, we’ve been in operation since 1866, and every year since then, there’s been summer, and naturally, heat as well. It’s also worth noting that the Zoo’s microclimate is much more favorable than most areas of the city due to the abundance of plants, the canopy of shade provided by the trees, and the many water features like the Great Lake (Nagy-tó) and numerous pools.

When we start caring for a new species, we carefully consider the temperature they need and how that compares to typical weather patterns in Hungary. For heat-loving animals, we build enclosures with heated indoor spaces. But we also plan ahead for what to do when summer arrives, especially its hottest period.

In the wild, animals must also adapt to a certain range of temperature and weather changes, including heat. This is also the case when it is warmer than desired. The first thing animals typically do when it gets too warm is reduce activity (since movement generates heat) and retreat to a shaded or breezy area. We design their enclosures to provide easy access to cool places, and the animals have their own physiological and behavioral mechanisms to help them stay cool.

These include sweating or panting, which rely on the physical principle that evaporation draws heat away from the body. Animals need extra help in meeting their increased water requirements. We provide them with as much drinking water as they need and, for some species, we offer juicy, water-rich foods. The moisture content in food is an important water source for animals, not just the water they drink.

In addition to these measures, other cooling and refreshing solutions can also be considered. Many animals, for example, have pools where they can cool off whenever they like. These pools aren’t primarily intended for heat relief but are necessary for animals whose lifestyle requires them, like hippos, penguins, and giant otters. For our penguins, though they are African penguins, we’ve even installed a misting gate, and a refreshing water spray is available in the orangutan enclosure as well. Our Asian elephants, in addition to their always-available pool, also enjoy occasional showers from the cool water spray directed at them by their keepers.