Swimming pools, ice cream and fruit: Dealing with the heat of summer in the desert in the south of Spain

Summer has not yet packed its bags in Andalucía in the south of Spain, despite the intermittent rainfall of the last few days in certain parts of the region including Almeria province. Thermometers are still over 40C in the middle of the day and the humidity has been unbearable unless you stay at home in front of the air conditioning or fan.

All in all, it's an unpleasant time of year, isn't it? But the climate does not only affect humans, it also affects animals, such as the African fauna that inhabits the province's Minihollywood Oasys and even the gazelles at the experimental station for arid zones (EEZA).

To cope with the summer months, these centres put in place special measures to combat the heat and staff work hard to make these reserves an ideal place for the species that live there. Although the animals are physiologically adapted to withstand high temperatures, the vets are responsible for making the hottest days of teh year more bearable for them.

The Minihollywood Oasys zoological reserve, which opened its doors almost three decades ago, has nearly 1,000 animals of some 200 different species and despite being located in the heart of the Tabernas desert, it is still home to some 4,000 trees.

To deal with the heat some of the animals slow down because, similar to humans, "they want to rest and relax without getting too much sun," says Oasys director José María Rodríguez.

Staff have prepared suitable shaded areas so that the fauna - mostly from Africa - can enjoy the summer in the most comfortable way possible: "We have planned a zoological collection, so the large number of animals we have want and desire the heat," Rodríguez explains. Although he adds that their activity decreases "as happens in Africa".

Rodríguez explains that some of the animals "even disappear from the public area, so they are not exposed, they leave and hide, so they can rest". As such he points out that visitors are not guaranteed to see some species if they visit at this time of year. The African spurred tortoises for example "go underground in summer and their activity decreases and they are not seen".

At the other end of Almeria city, at the foot of the Alcazaba, the La Hoya Experimental Farm has around 400 Dama Mohor, Cuvier and Dorcas gazelles, as well as the Saharan Barbary sheep, and they have a specific routine for the summer months. For this, Sonia Domínguez, veterinarian of the protected fauna, tells Ideal (SUR's sister newspaper) that they have water at their disposal and shade thanks to the artificial roofing and natural trees.

Even so, the professional explains that "they are physiologically quite prepared to withstand high temperatures in a natural way".

Swimming pools, ice cream or fruit

In summer it's not just humans who like to spend the day cooling off in the water or eating ice cream, the animals also enjoy such summer activities. Proof of this is that at Minihollywood Oasys they set up pools or fountains for the reserve's wildlife to take a dip.

This is undoubtedly the park's elderly brown bear's favourite activity. "He loves to swim at this time of year, he has two fountains where he can submerge himself completely and he uses them," the vet explains.

Faced with the arrival of scorching - and unbearable - temperatures, professionals and keepers prepare ice creams to lower the animals' body temperature. In the case of the brown bear, a fish juice is prepared with pieces of ice, which weigh around five kilos. "He chews and swallows them and this cools him down, he is fascinated by this type of ice cream, he goes crazy," Sonia says. You can also alternate these ice creams with frozen fruit.

The same goes for the feline animals at Oasys; for them, the ice cream ingredients are different. Popsicles are made from blood juice that is mixed with water and then frozen to provide the refreshing summer snack. In the case of the antelopes, "we give them showers with sprinklers and they voluntarily go to the area to stay cool", while the reptiles have a completely different habit: "They need warmth and, although it's not as hot as summer, we keep temperatures between 21 and 27 degrees," Sonia explains, as there are other animals, such as frogs, that are susceptible to temperature changes.

Others, such as rhinoceroses, enjoy mud baths, smearing themselves with mud to protect them from the sun, as well as disinfecting themselves and giving them smoother, softer skin. Also, for animals that are in breeding season, increase the dose of fruit with portions of watermelon, papaya or kiwi to keep them cool.

Chills and heat waves

The EEZA species, meanwhile, do not enjoy the refreshing ice cream at this time of year. "The vets at Minihollywood have told us that they work well, so maybe one day we will put them into practice," says Domínguez. Instead, they opt to give them fresh food, "from the acacia prunings because it is a vegetable that has a higher water content and so they stay more hydrated."

Although the animals are particularly well cared for, in summer the emphasis is on the young to avoid heat stroke. "There are some that lie down and expose themselves to the sun, but we try not to keep them there for so long, especially those that are only a few days old, so that they don't get heat stroke," she says.

In both facilities, care is taken to keep the wild animals in optimal conditions in accordance with their habitat, because although they can't avoid the heat, they have the techniques to help them cope with it.

Hose and shade for the horses of the west

At this time of the year, the centre's professionals deal with alternatives so that these species can enjoy the most comfortable 'Almerian' summer possible. In the case of the horses that participate in the exhibitions for the public, they have awnings to protect them from the sun.

"These shaded areas help them to reduce their direct exposure," says José María Rodríguez, director of Minihollywood Oasys, while retired horses are not required "to do anything". They are only kept "in the shaded areas", just as there are "newborn foals that love to spend a long time in the sun". Of course, they are always supervised so that they don't end up with health problems.

The professionals in charge of the animals explain that they "get hosed down and keep their temperature up, it's amazing because they love being underwater," they reveal.

In the bird enclosure, meanwhile, they make life cooler for the species that live there, which include parrots, ducks and flamingos. "They have a metabolism where their normal physiological temperature is above 40 degrees," the vet explains, so they install pools for them to swim and groom themselves between visits. "This is done all year round, because they love water, so it is not a behaviour that we only see at this time of year. However, we do increase the dose of fruit so that they have more water," the vet says.