KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Winter weather is covering East Tennessee in snow and the red wolves are loving it, according to a leader at Zoo Knoxville.
Phil Colclough is the director of animal care, education, and conservation said the zoo. He said the zoo is taking several steps to make sure it could continue caring for its array of animals, despite the hazardous weather.
"We've got to care for these animals, whether there's no snow on the ground or a foot of snow on the ground. We've got to have staff here to feed and medicate these animals that need it. So, it's not an option for us not to come in," he said. "It's like a little city that we live in, here at the zoo. Some things just can't stop."
He said while zookeepers took steps to guarantee animals would be cared for, so did the zoo's operations team. He said they worked to shovel out pathways through the zoo and worked to make sure both the people and the animals were safe.
Overnight Thursday and into Friday, he said staff members also stayed at the zoo to make sure they could care for animals.
"We went out and bought a bunch of air mattresses, a bunch of sleeping bags, a bunch of pillows, a whole bunch of junk food, a bunch of popcorn and had some movies in the conference room going," he said. "It was actually a whole lot of fun."
The zoo also rented out three vehicles they could use to reach workers who were not comfortable driving in the snow. That way, the zoo's elephants, bears, birds, reptiles and every other animal could continue getting food and medication as needed. Animals were also given warming dens they could hide in, moving in and out as they pleased and letting them stay warm as the snow fell.
"A huge chunk of the animals that we care for really like this, even the ones that you wouldn't associate that with. You know, obviously, none of our cold-blooded, tropical animals are going to be out in this. But, you know, our red wolves love this. The otters are just thrilled about this," he said. "Even elephants like snow a little bit. It's a novelty."