Life moved slowly on the parched grounds of the Denver Zoo on Thursday.
Peacocks stood statue-still in the shade.
Lying under a tree, two cheetahs moved only their ears – ever so slightly – to flick away bugs.
Parents calmly poured water over the heads of hot, compliant children, and even the merry- go-round seemed to spin in slow motion.
The only brisk action was at indoor concession stands.
“Our concession numbers are way up,” said Ana Bowie, vice president of marketing for the zoo, who said she had stayed indoors most of the day.
Visitor numbers are finally responding to the brutal heat, she said. “We’ve been fortunate, last week was the first week we’ve seen lower numbers than we had projected. You can actually can get into the parking garage at noon.”
The zoo projected 37,377 people would visit last week; 35,377 came, Bowie said.
Debbie Pustari of Parker leaned on a shady rail next to the sea lion exhibit, with her twin 4-year-old girls, and stared at the green-tinted water, watching the sea lions glide slowly by.
“That nasty water is looking mighty good right now,” Pustari said.
On Wednesday, when the official temperature hit 105 degrees Fahrenheit, zookeepers tossed icy treats to the animals, Bowie said.
The cheetahs got a block of bloody ice, the polar bears got frozen fish, and the capuchin monkeys got frozen grapes.
By Thursday, with a high 104 degrees, the goal seemed more about just making it through the day with the least exertion possible.
Two caribou lay below a water mister installed in a tree, letting the cloud of vapor cool their skin.
A Malayan tapir chose dry shade over a water tank, which lay in full sun.
Meanwhile, along a 20-foot- tall cliff habitat, four Dall sheep, eyes squinting, lay in the sun, seemingly oblivious to the fact they hail from the chilly mountains of Alaska and Canada.
“The animals are all doing well,” Bowie said. “Everybody has shade; everybody has a lot of water.”
Staff writer Katy Human can be reached at 303-820-1910 or khuman@denverpost.com.
