Staying Cool at the Zoo

[Anchor Lead]

We humans aren’t the only ones suffering under the hot summer sun. Animals at the zoo, too, try to stay cool with cold snacks and cold showers. Here’s more.

[Pkg]

Exhausted by the sultry weather, a Siberian tiger takes a dive into the water. Frozen chicken is a special treat to help endure the heat. Asian elephants, each the size of a house, play with their frozen fruit snacks.

[Soundbite] “Elephants, enjoy your treat!”

The animals eat cold watermelons to supplement sugar in their bodies. A baby elephant enjoys a cold shower to wash away the stress from the heat.

[Soundbite] Shin Sung-hee(Zoo visitor) : "Seeing the animals eating ice cream and watermelons made me realize that they also have a hard time in the hot weather like humans do."

Orangutans with their heads covered with cloths to hide from the sun nibble on watermelons, and lemurs lick frozen fruit like ice cream. Animals at zoos receive all kinds of summer treats to keep them cool.

[Soundbite] Kim Jin-soo(Zoo keeper) : "We mix animal food with ice or frozen fruit to keep them cool in summer because they also have weak immune systems and a poor appetite when it's hot."

Just like people, animals at zoos are also struggling to escape from the scorching weather.