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Headline : Animals cool off at ZSL London Zoo
Caption : With temperatures hitting record and prolonged highs in the capital this week, ZSL London Zoo’s keepers have been keeping their animals cool in a variety of imaginative ways.

Critically Endangered Western lowland gorillas Kumbuka, Effie, Zaire and youngsters Alika and Gernot all enjoyed frozen cucumbers in their Gorilla Kingdom home this morning (Wednesday 27 June), while pygmy hippo Nikki munched on juicy slices of refreshing watermelon.

Also getting in on the icy action were the Zoo’s troop of meerkats, who enjoyed pawing at heart-shaped ice cubes filled with frozen peas and sweetcorn, while the Zoo’s two bearded pigs cooled down with a cooling shower, before wallowing in their favourite muddy pool.

ZSL’s Head of Primates Dan Simmonds said: “The animals here at ZSL London Zoo are very much enjoying the warm weather, thanks to their imaginative keepers.

“All over the Zoo, we’ve been giving out frozen cooling treats – this morning the gorillas have had iced cucumbers and the meerkats have enjoyed a bit of ‘peabobbing’ – with their favourite peas frozen into ice cubes for them to enjoy.

“Nikki the pygmy hippo went for a morning swim in her moat and munched on a breakfast of watermelon slices, and the otters had fun diving for frozen crayfish in their pond.

“Elsewhere the Sumatran tigers have been swimming in their pool and the Asiatic lions have been dipping their toes in their moat whenever they’ve wanted to take a break from basking in the glorious sunshine.”

Pygmy hippos actually make their own ‘sunscreen’, which they secrete through their skin to protect them from the sun’s rays, while the meerkats have their own built in sunglasses – the dark areas arounds their eyes deflect sunlight just like a good pair of shades.
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