Keeping bears cool during heatwaves
Blog
Facing intense heatwaves, our partner sanctuary got creative to keep rescued bears cool!
At the Balkasar Bear Sanctuary in Pakistan, rescued bears are used to sunshine, but this year’s heatwave has been unbearable (pun intended). Spring barely showed up before summer came blazing in, with temperatures soaring past 40°C!
While some of the bears are from southern Pakistan, others, like Himalayan brown bears, are more used to snowy slopes, not heatwaves.
The sanctuary staff have been monitoring the bears health closely and started noticing some signs of heat stress: panting, low energy and the classic flat-on-the-back “I’m melting” pose. Upon seeing this, they began their emergency bear-cooling operation – ‘Operation Bear Shower’.
They overflowed the water in the pools to create muddy lounges and hooked up a generator-powered pressure motor to mist cool showers into each enclosure.
The result? Pure bear joy.
Bears danced, splashed and spun in the spray. Some stood on hind legs with outstretched arms. Others pointed their rumps at the hose for better coverage. When the water stopped, they stared at the hose, waiting for more.
Now, two daily “rain parties” are part of sanctuary life - a fun and vital way to keep the bears cool.
Thanks to your support, these bears, once victims of exploitation, now have a safe place where even the worst heatwave turns into a splash party.
Photo: BRC
Photos and video footage thanks to the team at BRC.
