Rain, rain, go away, the bears and lions want to play!

But in the meantime, the zoo has closed so they can go inside and stay dry.

The zoo is normally open on weekdays until 4 p.m., but today, they closed the zoo at 1 p.m. because the storm system has been drenching the animals, according to a press release by zoo spokeswoman Gwendolyn Tornatore.

The animals have been given the option to access both the inside and outside areas of their exhibits so they can stay dry if they want, she said.

So if you’ve been wanting to see how a giraffe looks while swimming, you’re out of luck.

kworth@sfexaminer.com