A hot bank holiday weekend might see humans flock to the beach, don summer hats and crack open a cold beer, but when it comes to keeping big cats cool, zoos turn to a rather different treat: blood lollies.
While experts note habitats within zoos are carefully tuned to their inhabitants’ needs, with areas of shade, water, sun and mud as appropriate, animals have tactics of their own to cope with the heat.
Chester zoo says miniature wallabies called dusky pademelons use evaporative cooling by licking their wrists – as the saliva evaporates, the blood within the vessels close to the skin is cooled. Meanwhile, aardvarks and African crested porcupines opt for subterranean shelter from the heat.
“As temperatures soar, many of the animals find their own ways of keeping cool in the sunshine,” said Dr Nick Davis, the mammals general manager at Chester zoo. “The likes of the eastern black rhinos and capybaras will cool off by submerging themselves in mud wallows, while big cats such as Sumatran tigers and jaguars, and other species like Asian elephants and Humboldt penguins, might beat the heat by taking a dip in their pools,” said Davis.
Indeed, while such birds might be expected to struggle in the heat, Humboldt penguins – which originate from coastal regions of Peru and Chile – are actually well equipped for warm climes, with body adaptations including bare patches around their face and a bill through which heat can escape.
But they also receive a little help: as well as boasting the largest penguin pool in England, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) notes the habitat at London zoo includes misting systems and fans that can be used to cool the surrounding air as temperatures soar.
Lions and Sumatran tigers might also be expected to cope well as the mercury rises – but that doesn’t mean they don’t get some special attention. Among the treats they can expect at London zoo are frozen blood-based ice blocks, which are often spiced or contain an edible treat. According to ZSL, the approach not only cools the big cats but encourages natural investigative and hunting behaviours.
Other species can also look forward to a cooling snack.
“Sometimes our keepers deliver special fruit and vegetable ice lollies to the chimps, bears and red pandas, while animals including the greater one-horned rhinos may be given a refreshing shower,” said Davis, while ZSL noted gorillas at London zoo receive ice blocks made from sugar-free fruit teas.
Angela Ryan, ZSL’s head of zoological operations, said the key thing is to make sure every animal can choose what works for them. “Some will head straight for pools or shaded spots, while others really enjoy things like misting or frozen treats as a way to cool down,” she said.
“A lot of our species are actually built for warm weather anyway, so it’s not about over-intervening – it’s about making sure they’ve got the right options, and we’re watching closely so they stay comfortable.”
