Dallas Zoo Visitors Keep Cool During Dollar Day

Facing a sold-out crowd for its annual Dollar Day, the Dallas Zoo took extra steps to keep visitors safe from the extreme heat Thursday.

And hot days are nothing new for some of the zoo's residents. You'll often find them keeping cool, like lounging lemurs or mud-bathing elephants.

But for humans visiting the zoo, they have to be creative.   

"We bring a lot of waters,” Dallas Zoo visitor Tommy Chau said. “Got a personal fan here and a couple more personal fans with water spray just to be safe.”

Many people got out to enjoy Dollar Day at the Dallas Zoo. The zoo anticipated large crowds, though this year, all tickets were sold online and attendance was capped to keep crowd size down.

With the extreme heat North Texas has been having, the zoo had extra staff on hand to keep an eye on guests.

"We've added some extra medics today and we typically do that for dollar days just in case there are any heat issues, said zoo spokeswoman Kari Streiber. "We take care of people with the larger crowds."

The Dallas Zoo has air-conditioned first aid stands around the grounds. There are also other indoor areas where people can take breaks and cool off.

"We have misters throughout the zoo that are here all year long,” Streiber said. “Those are all on today. We've also added some porta-coolers and portable fans. So, as they are walking around they can enjoy the misters and get that cool breeze."

Under the misters is where we found one family taking a break and staying safe.

"We brought water and we have some refrigerated items," visitor Janet Ngock said. "We have ice and some snacks so it will give us some energy."

The Dallas Zoo allows visitors to bring in their own coolers, water bottles and snacks. But no alcohol, glass or straws are allowed.

The zoo's second Dollar Day on Aug. 11 is already sold out.