ASHEBORO, N.C. — The North Carolina Zoo is taking plenty of steps to keep its animals warm through all the snow and cold 2022 has brought to the state.

The North Carolina Zoo has a variety of tools they use to keep animals warm during the winter

The zoo’s rhinos have access to a heated barn, a heated shelter on exhibit and are locked in the warm barn on cold nights as a precaution

Keepers said they enjoy being in the barn to clean on cold days because it’s so warm

Part of Watani Grasslands zookeeper Lane Batot’s job is caring for the zoo’s rhinos. He jokingly calls Olivia, a 54-year-old southern white rhino, his “girlfriend.” Batot said information about their natural climate can come as a surprise to some of the zoo’s guests.

“It can get quite cold in South Africa where they’re from, but nothing really like here,” Batot said. “Down to freezing some nights but not usually for extended periods and usually not snow accumulations and things like that.”

Batot said the rhino barn is equipped with large heaters, and the floor has a comfortable rubber padding on top instead of cold concrete. They also have access to a heated shelter out on exhibit and are locked in the warm barn on cold nights as a precaution.

“She has very comfortable winter abodes, in fact it’s comfortable enough in there that on cold rainy raw days I’m very glad to be in there cleaning, because it’s a nice warm comfortable place rather than to be out here,” Batot said.

More information about the North Carolina Zoo is available here.