Meatless Monday: Special diet for critters in Turkey to keep them warm in winter

Animals from hot climates are getting a special winter menu prepared for them at the Gaziantep Zoo in Turkey.

The zoo, Turkey’s largest, and the second largest in Europe, has about 7,500 animals. To prepare them for the cold, a winter menu has been created with vegetables, fruits with high-level vitamins and minerals. They’re also being fed high-energy foods such as figs, dried grapes and nuts.

African-origin animals are particularly susceptible to the cold. For elephants, leopards, chimpanzees, jaguars, giraffes and zebras, heaters have been places in the enclosures. Snakes and crocodiles are getting floor heating systems installed.

The head of the Gaziantep municipality’s Association for the Protection of Natural Life, Celal Özsöyler, said the zoo was very significant for the city because visitors visited the zoo not only in summers, but also in winters.

Room temperature above 15 degrees Celsius

“They [animals] are affected by the cold the most in winter. Their room temperature should not be below 15 degrees Celsius. We conduct necessary checks all the time,” Özsöyler said.

All the animals have to eat protein-rich food and take vitamins to make them resilient to the cold, he added.

h/t: Hurriyet Daily News 

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