Tucson Zoo Helps Animals Beat Extreme Heat

Reid Park Zoo uses ice pops, mud puddles, and indoor spaces to keep wild animals cool during scorching temperatures.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 5:50am

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As Tucson experiences extreme heat this March, the Reid Park Zoo is helping its animals stay cool with a variety of methods. The zoo provides cold treats like ice pops, mud puddles for animals like rhinos and elephants to wallow in, and air-conditioned indoor spaces for animals that don't tolerate the heat as well, such as sloths and squirrel monkeys.

Why it matters

With climate change leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, zoos must find innovative ways to ensure the health and comfort of their animals. Reid Park Zoo's efforts demonstrate how zoos can adapt to extreme weather conditions and prioritize animal welfare.

The details

The zoo's animal behavior and well-being program leader, Stephanie Norton, explains the various ways they help the animals stay cool. Ice pops with insects, fish, fruits, and vegetables are provided as frozen treats. Large mud puddles allow rhinos and elephants to wallow and use the mud as a natural sunscreen and insect repellent. Animals that don't tolerate heat as well, like sloths and squirrel monkeys, have access to air-conditioned indoor spaces they can retreat to.

  • Tucson is already experiencing extreme heat this March.
  • The Reid Park Zoo is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through May, and from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. starting in June.

The players

Stephanie Norton

The animal behavior and well-being program leader at Reid Park Zoo.

Berani and Little Frei

The otters at Reid Park Zoo who enjoyed ice pops with cucumbers and shrimp.

Anthony Scheffman

A visitor to Reid Park Zoo who was impressed by the otters' antics.

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What they’re saying

“If you get out here to the zoo, you need to come over and check out these two otters because they've been out. They like the heat too for some reason, and they just come out and they just are hamming it up with everybody. It's beautiful. You get some good pictures of them.”

— Anthony Scheffman

“We'll provide ice treats which are just like ice pops, but they have foods in them that the animals like to eat like insects or fish or different fruits and vegetables, and we'll provide them with big ice piles so that they can lay down in those and get really nice and cool and lots of fans and misters to make sure that they have comfortable places to be.”

— Stephanie Norton, Animal behavior and well-being program leader

What’s next

The zoo reminds visitors to also beat the heat by taking advantage of the air-conditioned spaces and water bottle refill stations. Watermelon Wednesdays are also planned for the summer months.

The takeaway

As extreme heat becomes more common due to climate change, zoos like Reid Park Zoo are leading the way in developing innovative strategies to ensure the health and comfort of their animal residents. Their efforts demonstrate the importance of prioritizing animal welfare in the face of a changing climate.