Advertisement

Rome zoo animals cool off with frozen treats

Rome zoo animals cool off

with frozen treats

As the summer heat soared to 95°F

residents at Rome’s Bioparco

were treated to fruit icicles

and frozen watermelon

to help them stay cool

and encourage their natural instincts

(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) BIOPARCO DIRECTOR, FRANCESCO PETRETTI, SAYING:

"The food is not simply given as if the animals were sitting at the table. The animals have to earn their food by looking under the trunks, under the stones, climbing the branches. This is because it is an environmental enrichment system. The daily life of wild animals is largely devoted to the search for food. Animals spend most of their time looking for food, and even here we make sure that they spend a lot of time with this activity."