A pile of ice piqued the interest of a herd of female Indian elephants. Tamara the elephant could pay attention to the ice cubes – which she scooped up with her trunk and munched with gusto – for the longest time. In the picture, Tamara stands on the right, Gulab in the middle and the smallest Lakuna on the left. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Animals and visitors at the Prague Zoo could enjoy literally icy refreshments today. More than six tons of ice cubes cooled the exhibits and also the visitor areas, which was especially welcomed by the children. For Indian elephants, North American otters, and kea nesters, piles of ice became, in addition to cooling down, an impulse for games and activity.
A four-member group of kea nesters won the most of all animals with ice enrichment. In particular, this year’s two young of these cool-loving parrots licked the cubes and then had fun throwing them into the air. Photo by Tereza Šolcová, Prague Zoo
“The heat is not good for the number of animals or the number of visitors. That is why we are coming up with new ways to cool down the Prague Zoo area in addition to snails and ice cream. Today, we consumed six tons of ice in the zoo,” said the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “It cooled both selected animals and visitors.”
A pair of North American otters looked at the ice cubes somewhat timidly at first. However, after a short while, curiosity combined with a taste for the fish lying nearby won, and even the ice provided them with cooling on a hot day. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo
Prague Zoo offers all kinds of refreshments on hot days. In addition to restaurants and ice cream stands, people across the site will find air fresheners, a number of shady seating areas, and air-conditioned pavilions. By purchasing affordable electronic tickets, visitors can also avoid ticket offices and head straight to the turnstiles.
Ice cubes were especially appreciated by younger visitors. Already in the morning, dozens of children came to the pile of ice near the Children’s Zoo to cool off. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo