Outdoor keeping can be a challenge. I recall the protocols we had in place down in Texas when I was a zookeeper. Our weather was fairly mild and we had a state of the art facility. AND STILL… we had to shift animals in and out what felt like all the time due to weather issues. We had special heating elements and all the precautions. Even with all that we would still be out there trying to round up our giant tortoises or coaxing in our Komodo Dragons or even brining in some of our larger pythons we allowed outdoors for a stint.
Needless to say, I’m having flashbacks with this new/old adventure of outdoor keeping. This week the weather turned cold again and this morning in the cold rain I was outside gathering up the tortoises and skinks to bring them back inside for a few days. SIgh. I’m sure you’re wondering…”TC didn’t you check the forecast? Didn’t you know ahead of time?” Hahaha Colorado forecasts are as accurate as guessing…So, yes I did check the forecast however it changed by the hour and still failed to capture what my paddocks were experiencing. Oof.
I think my next step is to install what many outdoor keepers used in the southern states for cold nights. Pig warmers. Yes I think what I”m going to do is build some hides whereby the animals can be “locked” in at night and there is a thermostat controlled, weather proofed, heat element to keep the temperature safe. This will be my late summer project.