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Zoo creatures enjoy extra cold snacks

Rig tailed lemur enjoys a frozen fruit snack to cope with the heat at Adelaide Zoo. - ABC

Adelaide zookeepers are using a novel way of keeping animals cool in the heat.

Creatures at the zoo have been left blocks of ice containing their favourite foods as temperatures again approach 40 degrees Celsius following Friday's maximum of 45C.

Many of the animals are from climates very different to Adelaide's dry summer heat and have been sprayed with water to keep their body temperatures down.

The manager of the zoo's Animal Health Centre, Dianne Hakof, says ice blocks filled with meat, bones, fish and fruit are fast becoming a favourite.

"Our sea lions love their iceblocks and our tigers love their iceblocks, but also we have our smaller carnivores and primates as well that really enjoy the iceblock treats," she said.

The zoo's star attractions, giant pandas Wang Wang and Funi, will spend most of the day inside their air-conditioned quarters.


- ABC

© ABC 2013

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