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A different summer: Barcelona Zoo combats heat with creativity and animal care
At Barcelona Zoo, summer is measured not only in degrees, but also in ingenuity to guarantee the wellbeing of its inhabitants.
Although the lush greenery of Parc de la Ciutadella keeps the site up to three degrees cooler than the city, high temperatures make it necessary to deploy a special protocol against heatwaves.
More fountains and fresh water at all times are the first line of defence. Mud wallows and natural pools become genuine oases for warthogs and female elephants, while bison and buffalo receive showers from hoses and sprinklers.
But the strategy goes beyond water: feeding is transformed into a summer experience. Primates enjoy juice or broth ice lollies, giraffes savour blocks of ice filled with fruit, and meerkats and mongooses cool off with worm slushies.
These measures not only mitigate the heat, but also encourage stimulation and play, reminding us that the Zoo’s mission is not only to protect, but to guarantee the quality of life of every species, even in the most extreme summers.