Oxbow Park in need of meat products

(ABC 6 News) – Oxbow Park in Byron is looking for help in filling its freezers.

The park has a variety of animals to feed including several carnivores who eat anything from your typical beef and chicken to wild game such as elk or bison. As for the otters – they like their fish.

"We kinda typically go through these times where we need more meat. We usually do have very full freezers; it’s just we’re getting a little low, so we put the word out, and our community is responding very well," Oxbow Park naturalist Clarissa Schrooten said.

While they have caught up a little, they still have room to fill.

Another factor for this is the cold as feeding more food to the animals so they have more body fat for protection.

"Well, the good thing is all of our animals are Minnesota native, so they are built and adapted to be in this cold." she also provided some insight into her dog. "my dog and I, we go out every day. We just shorten our days when it’s cold," Schrooten said.

Oxbow Park is taking further measures by having their birdcages facing the south to get sunlight and a wall to the north to protect against cold, northerly winds.

As for your pets, you can help them with coats and boots, which will help as long as you’re not out very long. A coat keeps them warm while the boots protect their paws from getting irritated from salt on sidewalks and streets.