When the summer heat starts to kick in around this time of the year,… it's not only tough on people in South Korea, but animals too.
But for our four-legged friends at the Seoul Zoo,… special care is taken to ensure they stay as cool as possible.
Won Jung-hwan reports.
Animals can't turn on the air conditioning or buy themselves a cold drink, so they can have a hard time with the scorching heat.
Luckily, the Seoul Zoo is constantly coming up with new ideas to make sure its animals can stay healthy and safe.
One thing it does is give them cool treats.
"It's been really hot lately,… and that's not easy on our animals. So our zoo staff have come up with different ways to help the animals get through the summer according to their unique characteristics."
For the Asian elephant, the zookeepers prepared massive blocks of ice with various kinds of fruit inside. The elephants love to get sprayed with cool water,... but this time, the ice-cold fruit comes first. This 3-year-old, called Hymangi, is also loving the special treatment,… trying to smash open his watermelon just like his parents do.
The treats are different for each species. Some get frozen fruit,... but others just want to have fun in the pool.
For the hyenas,… the zookeepers' idea worked perfectly.
"Hyenas like to get in the water,… so we tried to find a way that would make it more fun for them. The bath bombs we used are non-toxic… and smell like fruit, so it makes them want to jump in."
And these little animals, Ring Tailed Lemur, are busy to munching up their sliced fruit,… and when fruit is out of reach, their elastic arms and legs come in handy,... or they'll just hang upside down and pull up the string.
The zoo is also home to some animals that are quite sensitive to heat… and are often unwilling to leave their shaded cages. Here too, one thing is sure to work.
"When the animals are tired from the scorching heat,... there's only one way to get them to leave their cages,.. by seducing them with their favorite foods coated with ice"
Bears often get fresh fruit and frozen meat to cool them down make sure they're healthy all summer.
The zoo is located in heart of Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon city, and it's home to more than 2-thousand animals.
Visitors will be glad to know that even in the extreme heat, each of the animals is taken good care of.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.
