AS temperatures soared across Sussex today, zookeepers at Drusillas Park pulled out all the stops to help their animals stay cool in the blazing sunshine.
With the mercury expected to reach 27°C, staff at the popular Alfriston attraction introduced a range of creative cooling measures, from giant ice blocks and refreshing showers to specially prepared frozen treats.
During hot weather, extra care is taken to ensure the animals remain comfortable, with keepers providing additional water sources, cooling down enclosures, and offering chilled food favourites.
One resident making the most of the warmer weather was Raya the giant anteater, who enjoyed cooling off under sprinklers set up by keepers.
Elsewhere in the zoo, the animal care team got inventive in the kitchen, creating frozen enrichment treats packed with vegetables, herbs and seeds.
The park’s yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys were treated to giant frozen discs filled with colourful snacks, including cucumber, sweetcorn and red cabbage. After cautiously licking the icy treats, the playful primates soon began smashing them apart to get to the goodies hidden inside.
Over in the lynx enclosure, brothers Ash and Friston were presented with a special catnip-infused ice block, which proved an instant hit as they sniffed, licked and explored the frozen treat.
Sholo the lar gibbon also enjoyed some chilled favourites, tucking into frozen squash and fennel, along with a homemade lemon and ginger ice pop prepared by his keepers.
Zoo Section Leader, Jacinta Dawe commented: “We use ice lollies and frozen treats to keep the animals cool in the heat because animals do not sweat in the same way humans do. The animals just want to get their paws on the rewards hidden in the ice, but as they grab, lick, nibble and break them down, their mouths and paws are cooled. The food inside is carefully measured and taken from their normal daily food allowance so although it’s lots of fun to see them with ice lollies, they still sit within their monitored diets.”
Meanwhile, the zoo’s penguin gang weren’t left out of the action either. Humboldt penguins are native to Chile, so they are naturally adapted to warmer temperatures, but they still appreciated the addition of two huge ice cubes floating around their pool. The playful penguins plunged in and out of the water, chasing and bobbing the ice around for fun.
Keepers have also devised an ingenious way to keep their nest boxes cool on hotter days by placing plastic bottles filled with ice inside the nest boxes, attached to bungee cords. The penguins can rub themselves against the bottles if they want to cool off, while the ice helps lower the overall temperature inside the boxes – a trick we might all be trying this evening to get some sleep!
Jacinta continued, “Some species, for example our giant anteater Raya, like to actively bathe to cool off. So, we create her very own shower for her in warm weather, which she absolutely loves! We treated her to this today and she was thrilled, stretching out and grooming her impressive tail in the refreshing shower to show her appreciation! Bathing is also great for her skin and coat, and a fun enrichment activity, so it’s a fantastic experience for her all round. You’ll also spot our capybaras and otters taking a long dip in their pools, and the flamingos have been combating the heat by walking around their waterfall.”
The zoo’s resident binturong family certainly didn’t want to miss out on the heatwave fun either. They were treated to their very own icy enrichment treat, which proved a huge hit with the whole gang. Curious baby twins Sabang and Bunga could be seen taking sneaky peeks at the frozen surprise, while energetic big sister Boots raced climbed on top of the ice block and played excitedly with it.
“Ice lollies are a great way to keep the animals cool,” Jacinta continued. “But they also serve an enrichment purpose as well. Making the animals work for their food in creative ways helps to stimulate them mentally and physically and encourages them to use their instincts to look for food as they would in the wild.”
For human visitors it’s easy to keep cool at the Park’s popular splash pad, open every day until the end of September. There’s also plenty of shady spots and icy refreshments to make sure the whole family can stay cool.
Located just off the A27 in Alfriston, Drusillas Park is open daily from 10am. For more information please telephone 01323 874100 or visit
www.drusillas.co.uk
