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Iraq zoo animals suffer in 50 degree heat, ‘lifespans years shorter’ than in other zoos
- Run down, underfunded, plagued by intense heat and power cuts, Baghdad zoo’s dilapidated facilities make life miserable for around 900 animals
- The zoo’s Siberian tigers live for 17/18 years but have a life expectancy of 20-25 years in zoos elsewhere, ‘the heat making the difference’
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Two Siberian tigers pant incessantly beside a pond at their zoo enclosure in the scorching summer heat of the Iraqi capital.
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Temperatures on Monday breached 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Baghdad for the second day in a row, making life outdoors unbearable for both humans and animals.
The orange, striped felines from far-eastern Russia are more suited to living “where temperatures drop to as low as minus 20 degrees” than in one of the hottest cities in the world, said Wassim Sarih, the vet at Baghdad’s only zoo.
Underfunded and run down by years of unrest and mismanagement, the zoo’s dilapidated facilities make matters worse for its roughly 900 animals, including lions, exotic birds, bears and monkeys.
Most of the enclosures are open air and “suit animals that live in hot climates”, said Sarih. “We don’t have ones for animals accustomed to the cold.”
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Monkey pool parties and elephant showers as Shanghai zoo tries to beat China heatwave
Monkey pool parties and elephant showers as Shanghai zoo tries to beat China heatwave
In an attempt to lower the temperature, air coolers have been installed in front of the lion cages, and pools are provided for the bears and tigers.
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