LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Zoo is home to about 1,000 animals and while Kentucky is experiencing hot temperatures, the staff is doing what they can to keep the animals safe from the heat. 

Mimi Lou recently brought her son to the zoo to see Qannik, the polar bear. They take breaks from the heat to watch as the 572 pound Artic animal dives into the cool water. They have prepared for the heat, bringing hydration and cooling aids. 

“Baby’s fan, who, he’s not using it so we borrowed it, and then we have a lot of water, Gatorade, coconut water, electrolytes are helpful,” she shared.

While visitors take action to stay cool, staff at the Louisville Zoo are also working to help the animals beat the heat, especially those born to live in a cooler climate. Steven Taylor is the assistant director at the Louisville Zoo. He works to make sure the animals are healthy and safe. 

“We make sure that they’ve got, you know, shade cool spaces, and the staff is around them, you know, 365 days out of the year. And so they’re always looking at them, watching them, recording the information that we need,” Taylor said.

Qannik lives in a rotational exhibit, meaning the teenage polar bear can choose to spend time outside or inside. Time outdoors means a chance for the polar bears to dive into water chilled under 65 degrees.

“We can take fish and freeze it in blocks of ice and give that to them. So it takes them a while. They have to lick on it and handle it to get to the fish, and that helps them keep cool. We also might just give them a big pile of ice. We’ve got an ice maker downstairs, so they always are going to be around something that’s cool,” Taylor explained.

Polar bears adapt to air temperatures up to 80 degrees, according to the Louisville Zoo. The polar bear exhibit, known as Glacier Run, has air-conditioned bedrooms chilled at a temperature in the high 50s.  

“It’s just like people or anything else. If you don’t give the animals the proper area, the right things to do, that to maintain their health and well-being, then sure they can. That can get out of balance and, you know, we might have to make a veterinary call,” Taylor said.

The Louisville Zoo has two full-time veterinarians and three full-time veterinarian technicians on staff. The zoo also offers visitors a chance to take a break in air conditioning, misters and fans help to keep them cool while they see their animals.

Glacier Run teaches visitors about environmental issues. The Louisville Zoo is an Artic Ambassador Center with Polar Bears International, a collaborative effort to tackle the warming artic climate.