Zoos: Cool ideas for animals

By Liang Yiwen  |   2009-7-21  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

A cat finds shelter from the heat wave under a car at a residential community in downtown Shanghai yesterday.

Photograph byZhang Dong

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THE two city zoos are being innovative to help animals during the heat wave.

At Shanghai Wildlife Park, air-conditioners were turned on in the panda enclosure, fresh and chilled fruit was offered to golden monkeys and extra water was added to the lions' pool to help them immerse their bodies in the cool.

"We do this whenever it is above 35 degrees Celsius," said Su Feilong, an official at Shanghai Wildlife Park.

The park let the animals out for exercise earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon.

Tons of ice was also placed in enclosures and tree shadows.

Shanghai Zoo offered iced fruit to animals and sprayed them with water to keep them cool.

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