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How the Phoenix Zoo keeps animals safe during the monsoon

While zookeepers always have one eye on the sky during the monsoon, the zoo has a team of rangers who are constantly tracking the weather.

When a monsoon storm hits, you run for cover, but what happens to the animals at the Phoenix Zoo?

While zookeepers always have one eye on the sky during the monsoon, the zoo has a team of rangers who are constantly tracking the weather. During the monsoon the rangers will give zookeepers hourly updates on potentially severe weather that could impact the animals.

The zoo's rangers have designed drills for such occurrences. If a storm rolls in, the rangers would contact zoo keepers and alert them to move their animals inside immediately. While they have not had to implement any of the drills in the past few years, they practice regularly.

All the animals need to be moved inside as quickly as possible, however, extra attention is given to the giraffes. Because of their height, an adult stands at 14 feet, they attract lightning more than the other animals and need to be brought inside as soon as lightning is detected. Additionally, rain would make the dirt in the giraffe habitat slippery causing the giraffes to slip and fall.

Monsoon storms have not had a direct impact on the animals in a while. The Phoenix Zoo closes at 2 p.m. in the summer and often monsoon storms hit after that when the animals are in their night houses for the rest of the day.

Severe weather can impact the grounds and habitats of the animals after hours, as it did in 2017. If severe weather causes damage after hours, zookeepers will come in and check on the animals, then they check out the habitats. Keepers look for any structural damage that could negatively impact the animals or allow them to potentially escape.

If you're ever at the zoo and a monsoon storms rolls in, you will be asked to leave. Tickets will be refunded on a case by case basis.

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