TAMPA, Fla. — The coldest air in several years is making its way to Florida.
With temps set to fall as low as the middle 20s to the middle 30s this weekend, ZooTampa at Lowry Park is taking extra precautions to make sure its animal residents stay warm.
That means renting an additional heater for the giraffes, putting out extra bedding and even mixing in automatic feeders.
"We always have some winterizing things that we do in the park and so we're taking a little bit of extra precaution," General Curator Jason Green said.
Green oversees things anything from adjusting the animal's diets to developing new displays. He says the automatic feeders that were installed Friday are a new way for the zoo to try to help its giraffes stay warm.
"You know, we sort of eat and it helps, sort of, burn calories which keep us warm," Green said. "So, this will enable us to offer different types of foods throughout the evening and night so they'll be able to eat during the cold weather, as well."
Depending on how low temperatures get, Green says some of the animals at ZooTampa will be brought inside.
