Local families and summer camp groups of small children make their way around Columbia's Riverbanks Zoo. Their sun visors visible, handheld fans wave in front of faces. Towels drape around their necks to cool off under the South Carolina heat.
Alyson Proveaux, the zoo's curator of mammals, says that, just as humans do, the animals have natural ways of thermoregulation. Zookeepers find ways to assist as well.
In the sea lion exhibit, the roughly 300,000 gallon pool holding the three sea lions never rises above 70 degrees.
"That's what they would have naturally in the wild," Proveaux says.
With South Carolina's temperatures entering the 100s zone, she says, "they spend more time in the water this time of year."
This behavior is not solely because of the heat. The summer months are when sea lions go into their "rut behavior," or breeding behaviors. In the breeding season, sea lions are at their heaviest, due to bulking up in the winter and spring; the increased weight makes them less active.
Alternatively, sea lions will frequently regulate their own temperature.
"You might see them swimming with one flipper up in the air [and] their eyes closed," Proveaux says. "They let the sun warm up that one flipper" when they get too cold, and will place it back in the water to cool down when it gets too hot.
Tortoises prefer the heat, as many reptilian animals do, but still have ways of seeking cover from the sun. Proveaux says their habitats were intentionally designed to have many trees canopying the tortoises. Their enclosures are trimmed in specific angled ways, so they have ample shade.
Zookeepers provide misters and small sprinklers as another option. However, mud wallows are the tortoises' most frequently used cooling method. In the wild, tortoises create these mud wallows to submerge their arms, legs, and bellies into to cool down.
White rhinos will also use mud wallows for sleep, especially in the afternoon. Riverbanks' zookeepers have crafted a makeshift dirt pile that the rhinos will lounge on, where visitors can see.
Proveaux says the humidity and moisture in the South Carolina climate is typically beneficial for rhinos' skin. In the summer months, zookeepers typically lotion the rhinos' skin less often because it isn't as dry and prone to cracking. There are fans in the rhino exhibit too, although it's more to keep flies away than to cool anyone down.
Proveaux says there have been instances where rhinos' water intake decreases in the summer months. To combat this, zookeepers administer horse electrolytes, due to the two species having similar guts and digestive processes.
Sloths require more constant regulation and attention because of their unique digestive system—matching the slow and consistent nature of the animal itself.
"Sloths are very sensitive to temperature swings, because in the natural world, they would be at a very consistent temperature," Proveaux says.
In their location in the Riverbanks Conservation Outpost tunnel, where each species gets its own HVAC system, the temperature must remain between 68 and 70 degrees. Anything higher or lower, can slow their digestion and cause issues.
The glass encasement that visitors see when they view the animals was not originally there.
"We [did] a big push and we did glass for this habitat," Proveaux says, "We were gathering the data [and] we were finding that we're getting more extreme swings here in South Carolina that we were having trouble keeping up with."
The zoo has a dedicated life support team that ensures the zoo's generators, chillers, HVAC systems, filtration systems, pumps, and pipe work are all running appropriately. Proveaux says Hurricane Helene, in particular, taught them many lessons regarding keeping things running and cool.
Prior to the hurricane, only the Aquarium Reptile Complex had a built-in generator. With hundreds of pounds of food almost spoiling in the zoo's commissary during the storm, one of the first investments made post-Helene was adding a generator for both the commissary and hospital building.
Hurricane season coincides with summer in South Carolina, and having the built-in generator in the commissary also allows zookeepers to store frozen treats that they give the animals as another cooling technique.
Proveaux says she tends to worry about about her zookeepers than the animals.
"They are out shoveling, raking, driving machines, and running from one thing to another," she says. The combination of the manual labor zookeepers must perform to ensure both habitats and animals are maintained, under the rays of sun, prompts regular safety reminders for staff.
Proveaux gives hydration reminders to staff, and also popsicles, electrolyte packets that are replenished throughout the summer, and neck fans. During the summer, staff has uniform flexibility where they can wear their own personal shorts within regulations. Recently, their facility added moisture wicking shirts to the zoo's uniform. Proveaux says if any staff members shows signs of heat exhaustion, they are sent home to rest.
And while they're home, Proveaux gives tips on how to take care of domestic pets and animals.
"Researching dietary needs, because that's step one, is a lot of times pets aren't being fed the correct things," Proveaux says. "Health starts with nutrition."
She says understanding and monitoring your pets' behavior can point you to signs of what might need to be altered in your home, on your walks with your pet, or where they lounge. She used the example of the zoo's kangaroos.
"We bought those cooling mats for dogs that you can put outside," she says. "They are ambiently cooler than the air."
Proveaux's message: adapt your home to your pets' needs as you observe them. And of course, make sure your pets have access to air conditioning and shade, ensure they're properly hydrated, and that they have proper access to shelter.
