What about winter?
By Li Jing (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2004-01-14 13:26

Beijing's long winter takes its toll on us all as we bundle up against the cold and adapt to the big chill.

But how do the exotic warm-climate animals we see in zoos and wildlife parks in the chilly north survive this testing time?

When frost glazes every tree and crisp fresh snow carpets the ground, wild animals have their own way to escape the chill.

Some migrate south to warmer climes where food is still available. Many others stay in caves and hibernate.

But it's a different story for the captive animals in zoos whose lives are totally controlled by the humans who forced them to leave their natural habitats.

At Beijing Zoo, special heating facilities kicked in at the end of October to compensate for dropping temperatures.

In the climate-controlled corridors which stretch under the living quarters of the big cats', elephants, rhinoceros and orangutan, temperatures must be maintained between 18C and 26C.

Winter quarters -an escape from the cold - lie a few steps from the animals' summer territory. Outdoor yards representing the African savanna, the Asian steppes and the South American pampas are close enough to be used for easy exercise when the weather is right, generally above 8C and sunny.

Some animals go out almost every day through the basement-level doors, into a sheltered outdoor area and then up a grassy ramp into the exhibition yard.

"Zebras adapt the way horses would," said Ye Mingxia, of Beijing Zoo's publicity department. "Most of these zebras come from Africa but they get along fine in the cold."

Camels are at their most beautiful in winter, when their dark brown coats become plush-carpet thick. They have lived in harsh conditions in the desert before coming to Beijing's temperate climate.

According to Ye Mingxia, zoo staff double their efforts to care for these animals at this time of year.

"Checking the animals is the first duty of the morning," Ye said. "The exhibit yards are cleaned next, so the winter-hardy animals can be outside by 9 am, when the first visitors arrive."

The next step is to prepare high-energy food for animals. The high-protein, high-energy food like black bean, fresh meat are regular parts of the diet for carnivorous animals.

In addition, most of the animals need to be vaccinated against disease.

Wang Wei, director of Beijing Safari Wildlife Park, 60 km north of downtown Beijing, said the expense of the park doubles compared to summer because of the requirements for heat and special food in winter.

Many of the animals have their feeding rations increased for winter, Wang said.

"Normally, we increase the diets of hoofed animals by 25 per cent," Wang said. Every panda facility is equipped with a water-tube boiler. Malayan bears get the same treatment.

"Our first job is to check the animals every morning," he said "Some animals like the panda, lion and Indian tiger are under 24-hour watch in the winter."

After checking on the numbers, a staff member mucks out the stalls: "To make sure every animal gets the proper diet and healthy exercise, every stall has a chart identifying the animal and its special needs.

"The panda, for example, is fed fresh bamboo transported by air from South China every day. However winter is not a bad time to view the animals," he insisted. "They are much more active now than when it is so hot that all they want to do is nap. Winter really is a great time to visit the zoo."

He pointed out that the Siberian tiger and bears enjoy snow very much: "They spend all the day running in the mountain and teasing the visitor bus."

While some of the tropical birds are put inside heated enclosures for the winter, Wang said most of the animals have the option of staying in their permanent shelters or going outside during winter.

"The park purposely picks animals that can physically handle the cold weather and fit well with our facilities," Wang said. "If the animal has the choice, normally it will stay outside."

He said they normally do not worry about losing animals during winter.

However electrical power outages that prevent the buildings from being heated are a potential problem: "Each facility has a system to warn zoo staff if the electricity fails."

He said the cold weather does not seem to affect the animals as much as the heat.

"The animals can get out of the cold, but it is harder to escape the heat," Wang said. "It is a psychological thing during the winter, because they see snow on the ground and think that they should run back inside."

Beijing Zoo
Location: 18 Gaoliangqiao Xiejie, Haidian District.
Tel: 6831 4411

Badaling Safari Park
Location: Two kilometres north of Badaling Great Wall. To get there, drive along the Badaling Highway, look out for the huge sign on one side of the highway.
Tel: 8208 7951

Beijing Wildlife Park
Location: Yufa Village, Daxing District.
To get there, drive along Jing-Kai Highway and get off at Yufa Exit and then followthe signs.
Tel: 9628 5360