Animals given frozen food and hose pipe showers at London Zoo.

As temperatures rise in the UK this week, keepers at London Zoo have been making sure that the animals in their care are kept cool.

Many of the animals are provided with pools which they can swim in to cool down on hot days. They also have access to sheltered spots in their outdoor enclosures so that they can choose to spend time in the shade when they need to.

Staff at the zoo have been giving animals ice lollies and other frozen food tailored to their nutritional needs, as well as using hose pipe showers to help animals feel comfortable during the late summer heatwave.

The zoo’s Sumatran tiger cubs Zac and Crispin have been among the animals making the most of the water in their enclosures to stay cool. The pair have been seen splashing and swimming around in their pool.

The species, which has webbed paws to help it swim, is the rarest subspecies of tiger in the world, with an estimated 300 left in the wild.

Kate Sanders, a keeper at the zoo, said: “Many of the animals have private pools like Zac and Crispin, and enjoy taking an invigorating dip when the weather heats up. Our colony of 72 Humboldt penguins have over 13,000 sq. ft of crystal-clear water in the UK’s largest penguin pool while pygmy hippos, Thug and Amara, can swap their hippo hot tub for their fresh-water moat on warm days like today.

“When we saw this week’s weather forecast, we also wasted no time making healthy ice lollies as late summer treats for the animals - all zoo nutritionist-approved. Our troop of critically endangered Western lowland gorillas go wild for frozen sugar-free fruit tea, the squirrel monkeys love to excavate nuts and veggies from blocks of ice, while the Humboldt penguins are particularly keen on frozen sprats.”

Image (C) ZSL