As a winter storm looms, the Dallas and Fort Worth zoos gear up to safeguard animals with extra supplies and on-site staff.

DALLAS — Our meteorologists are calling for WFAA Weather Alert Days this Friday through Monday. Stay informed by watching regular forecast updates and live radar from across the region on our smart TV streaming app, WFAA+. You can also download the WFAA mobile app for up-to-the-minute alerts from our weather team as they come.

While North Texans are making last minute trips to the grocery store to stock up on essentials for the weekend, the staff at the Dallas Zoo spent the past few days bringing in extra supplies of hay, preparing generators and stocking up on food and supplies for the animals in their care. 

“They don’t care if it’s icy outside and it’s dangerous to drive in; they need to be taken care of,” Keith Zdrojewski, the zoo’s senior curator of mammals, said. 

And with conditions expected to deteriorate throughout the weekend and a looming uncertainty for what roads could look like on Monday, he said the zoo will have staff members from each time staying on site through the weekend to make sure the animals get the care they need just in case other team members can’t make it in. 

The Dallas Zoo has already planned to be closed to the public on Saturday and Sunday. Zdrojewski said they hope to re-open on Monday or Tuesday but encouraged visitors to check the zoo’s website and social media accounts for updates. People who purchased tickets for this weekend will receive an email with information about how to reschedule, according to a post from the zoo’s Instagram account. 

Meanwhile, Avery Elander with the Fort Worth Zoo said Friday morning that the zoo there would post any scheduling changes for the weekend to its social media platforms and website. Like in Dallas, the Fort Worth Zoo has been preparing for the winter storm all week. 

“Ahead of this winter storm, our engineering and operations teams are removing awnings that could be damaged by ice, staging and prepping supplies for sanding and cleanup, insulating/protecting exposed water lines, ensuring backup generators are working properly and fueled, prepping equipment and gathering enrichment items for the animals to interact with indoors,” Elander said in a statement. 

Zdrojewski said enrichment is also a priority for the animals in Dallas. 

“Just like us, when it’s cold they lay around a lot but that’s not good for them. We want them to be interactive with their enrichment and with their environment so we prepare all that stuff a few days in advance so we have two or three days ready to go,” he said. 

As temperatures dropped and chilly rain fell on Friday, hours before the main event, zoo staff on both sides of the Metroplex were at work tucking away flamingoes, adding tarp to contain heat for enclosures and padding stalls with extra hay for warmth and comfort. 

A dedication Zdrojewski said zoo staff holds and shows everyday of the year but that truly shines in moments like these.Â