TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As temperatures continue to stay hot across Southern Arizona, animals at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum are staying cool in some unique ways.
The staff at the museum is working hard to ensure the animals in their care are safe and comfortable. From shaded shelters to high-powered evaporative coolers, there’s no shortage of efficient methods being used.
“We use coolers, evaporated coolers, and then inside those coolers we also put ice so it blows out very, very cold air," Shawnee Riplong-Peterson explains, who works at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Vultures use a behavior called urohydrosis, a process that involves urinating on its own legs to help regulate body temperature. “It’s called urohydrosis, which basically means they pee on themselves. Genius,” Riplong-Peterson says.
Some animals prefer staying in the shade, but others, like the ocelot, have taken it a step further by curling up right on top of a giant ice cube to beat the heat.
Food also plays a role in keeping things cool. “I think freezing their favorite treats is a great idea because it does really cool down,” Riplong-Peterson explains, “Think about popsicles for us.”
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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