Animals in Madrid Zoo chew on popsicles for heatwave relief

By
Reuters
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A panda bear eats a watermelon ice-cream on a bamboo stick during the second heatwave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022. — Reuters
A panda bear eats a watermelon ice-cream on a bamboo stick during the second heatwave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022. — Reuters

MADRID: With temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) amid a searing heatwave in Spain, Madrid Zoo's top celebrity, Bing Xing the giant panda, enjoyed watermelon popsicles on Wednesday provided by keepers to keep him and other animals cool.

In addition to his daily ration of 50kg of fresh bamboo, Bing Xing, whose name means "star of ice", eagerly chewed on frozen fruit on a stick.

A grey seal eats frozen fish, during the second heatwave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022.— Reuters
A grey seal eats frozen fish, during the second heatwave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022.— Reuters

Predatory animals like lions or seals were offered popsicles made from beef or fish, depending on their diet. Zoo keepers also sprayed animals with water.

The peak of the heatwave was expected on Thursday, with parts of Spain already on red alert for extreme heat and several wildfires raging stoked by the high temperatures.