Winter is coming...but these animals are ready

While some people might not be ready for that, the animals at the Potawatomi Zoo are more than ready.

"Just like us, they can go outside as long as they have a heated place to come back to," said Josh Sisk, the general curator at the zoo. "You can come to the zoo and see tigers, see lions, you can see them running through the snow. Even in the environments they come from, there are nights that get pretty chilly as well."

"When it gets cold and snowy, they will go outside sometimes," said zookeeper Gretchen Pitser. "They'll run out there in the mornings and make a couple of laps, but for the most part they'll stay inside. We only have to lock them up inside when it gets below 20 degrees."

Of course, not every animal necessarily needs to come inside, but every animal has the option.

Some of them are actually well suited for cold weather, but if they want, they can stay inside a nice heated barn.

"We have procedures set in place for each species," Sisk said. "Some animals may be have to have access [outdoors]. Some may be completely locked into a barn. It all depends on the species."

"These guys are not the smartest creatures you'll run across," said zookeeper Erink Brunk, nodding towards three ostriches. "But they do know that if it's cold, they go in where it's warmer."


That instinct, and the option to stay inside, makes it a bit easier for zookeepers to know if the animals should stay in, or if they should go out and stretch their legs for a bit.