Melbourne Zoo serves ‘primate popsicles’ to monkeys amid scorching summer heat
(CBS, KYMA) - Melbourne Zoo served up "primate popsicles" to its baboons, Emperor tamarins and gorillas in a bid to keep them cool on Tuesday, amid scorching summer heat.
The ice treats were served as the mercury was tipped to reach 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Victorian capital.
Ice blocks packed with corn, sweet potato, rhubarb and edible flowers, chosen for their bright red colours, were scattered through fresh wheatgrass for the troop of 16 baboons.
Emperor tamarin pair Mushu and Bonito enjoyed grapes and vegetables which zookeepers turned into cooling puzzles.
"It's a great puzzle for them to solve," Melbourne Zoo primate keeper Tom Symons said. "Some animals, like gorillas, smash the ice straight away to get to the food, while others take their time, licking and investigating until the treats are revealed."
The zoo's five gorillas explored ice blocks filled with a variety of vegetables as part of the enrichment.
"We saw lots of digging in the wheatgrass and the gorilla girls eating together, which is really important socially," Symons said. "And of course, the ice helps cool them down as well."
