Birds and anteaters cool off with air conditioning to cope with Mexico's heat wave
(11 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ciudad Valles, Mexico - 8 June 2024
1. Mid of Northern tamandua anteater at wildlife park
2. Veterinarian carrying anteater
3. Aerial of dry trees at wildlife park ++MUTE++
4. Veterinarian putting anteater into cage to take inside
5. Anteater in cage UPSOUND Carlos Ismael Salgado Aguilar, worker (Spanish): "We will take them to their rooms."
6. Anteaters being carried to air-conditioned rooms
7. Close of sign reading (Spanish) "Use of air conditioning for anteaters. Should be turned on when the room is at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) to bring it down to 30-32 (86-89.6F). Not less."
8. Anteaters inside room
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Laura Rodríguez, veterinarian at Selva Teenek wildlife park: ++STARTS ON PREVIOUS SHOT++
"The first days are crucial. We have to make sure they (the animals) eat well and stay hydrated."
10. Anteaters
11. Thermometer showing temperature '33.4 degrees Celsius'
12. Various of ocelots in enclosure, veterinarian spraying water over one
STORYLINE:
As Mexico’s heat wave and drought continues, anteaters and other animals are being given air conditioning to help cope with the high temperatures.
The animals, many with heatstroke, are being rescued by non-governmental groups that have denounced a lack of government action.
One rescue group is even feeding distressed owls with frozen rat carcasses shipped from Mexico City.
A heat dome, an area of strong high pressure centered over the southern Gulf of Mexico and northern Central America, has blocked clouds from forming and caused extensive sunshine and hot temperatures all across Mexico.
Much of the impact on wildlife is being felt in central and southern Mexico, because while temperatures are also high in the north, it is mostly desert and animals there have coping mechanisms for extreme heat and drought.
On the steamy Gulf coast, an animal park has set up air-conditioned rooms for owls and other birds of prey.
In the south, over 250 howler monkeys have fallen dead from trees with heatstroke, according to experts.
Some NGOs are struggling to pay for the animal’s care and are calling for donations, like the Selva Teenek, a non-profit wildlife park in the jungle region of La Huasteca, farther north.
On May 9, temperatures in that area soared to around 120 degrees (50 Celsius), and rescuers and staff brought in 15 birds of various species that were found lying on the ground.
"The first days are crucial. We have to make sure they (animals) eat well and stay hydrated," said Laura Rodríguez, the park's veterinarian.
Ena Mildred Buenfil, leader of the animal rescue group Selva Teenek, said birds — like the howler monkeys — are simply dropping dead.
Claudia Sheinbaum, the environmental scientist who won the June 2 presidential election to succeed Andrés Manuel López Obrador, offered some hope that testy relations over how to deal with the plight of wildlife might change when she takes office Oct. 1.
AP video shot by Mauricio Palos
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#animals #wildlife #heathwave
Birds and anteaters cool off with air conditioning to cope with Mexico's heat wave
Air conditioning rooms for anteaters, they exist!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALim...
