Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic has brought several tons of ice into the polar bear exhibit to help cool them down as Europe faces a new heatwave. Temperatures in Prague are expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius.
"Aleut" and "Gregor," the twin polar bears at Prague Zoo, were lively after zoo staff placed large blocks of ice in their enclosure to help them cool off. The bears lay down, rolled around, and played energetically with the big ice piles, delighting visitors at the zoo.
Philip Macek, spokesperson for Prague Zoo, said that using large amounts of ice is not only intended to help the polar bears lower their body temperature but also serves as an activity to stimulate natural behaviors, thereby improving the quality of life for animals living at the zoo.
Prague Zoo began using ice to help cool certain animals two years ago in response to climate change effects, which have increased the number of extremely hot days. Among the animals, polar bears particularly enjoy this activity the most.
Originally, the zoo planned to provide ice for the polar bears for about 10 days during July and August, the hottest months of the year. However, this year’s heatwave arrived earlier than usual. The Czech Republic recently set a record high temperature of 41.9 degrees Celsius on 28 June.
The zoo spokesperson acknowledged that the rapidly changing weather is an important lesson. He added that next year the zoo will order ice earlier than usual to prepare for heatwaves that might arrive sooner than expected again.
.source :AP
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