Sugar-free ice lollies and frozen nuts for London Zoo animals in heatwave

Lowland gorilla, 'Zaire' eats iced treats with nuts and berries during the hot weather at London Zoo in London, Britain, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - As Britain basks in a heatwave, animals at London Zoo were treated on Wednesday to sugar-free ice lollies in a bid to help them keep cool.

With temperatures hitting 30 degrees Celsius (86F), squirrel monkeys and gorillas, including the zoo's silverback 'Kambuka', munched on frozen mixtures including chickpeas, sunflower seeds, walnuts and sugar-free fruit cordial.

"As the weather starts getting hotter a lot of our animals struggle to maintain their body temperature," zoo keeper Jacob Winfield told Reuters on Wednesday.

Lowland gorilla, ' 'Effie' eats iced treats with nuts and berries as her son 'Gernot' looks on during the hot weather at London Zoo in London, Britain, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

"Animals like our gorillas need to stay fairly cool in the summer so we like to give them ice lollies," he said.

(Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)

Black-capped squirrel monkeys eat iced treats with nuts and berries during the hot weather at London Zoo in London, Britain, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Young lowland gorilla, 'Gernot' eats iced treats with nuts and berries during the hot weather at London Zoo in London, Britain, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A black-capped squirrel monkey eats iced treats with nuts and berries during the hot weather at London Zoo in London, Britain, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A black-capped squirrel monkey looks into a broadcast crews camera and lens at London Zoo in London, Britain, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A Humbolt penguin is swims at London Zoo in London, Britain, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville