Rio's Zoo Attempts To Keep Animals Cool In Severe Heat

2013-01-09 2

With Rio de Janeiro having one of the hottest starts to a summer in recent memory, its residents are not the only ones struggling to cope with the heat.

In the city's zoo, trainers are taking extra measures to make animals feel as comfortable as possible in the high temperatures.

Rio's Zoo is the oldest in Brazil and it's comprised of more than 2,000 animals.

There, with daily temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, the monkey's and chimp's menu favorite is Brazil’s traditional frozen ice cream.

Paulinho, the chimpanzee, will eat about three of those in addition to a variety of extra cool fruit, in addition to three liters of juice or water.

Neto, the Siberian tiger, however, prefers to stick with his daily diet, which includes an extra cool whole chicken.

When it comes to daily consumption, however, no one can beat Carla, the elephant. Her maintenance involves 60 liters of water or fruit juice daily, as well as regular showers to cool off.