A Scorching Family Day Out...
Things are hotting up at Drusillas Park in East Sussex, with midday temperatures reaching a whopping 31oc!
In order to ensure the animals remain cool and comfortable the zoo team, as always, are making sure they all have plenty of fresh water. However, they are also taking are few additional measures too:
Slap it On!
The resident alpacas and llamas have had sun cream applied to their ears to ensure their sensitive skin does not burn. Down on the Farm, kune kune pigs Rusty, Peppa and Porker have also had an extra pampering. Just as our own skin needs to be protected from the sun’s strong rays, steps must be taken to ensure these three little pigs do not burn. Keepers have therefore applied high factor sun cream to their bodies to help ensure the happy hogs remain the pig-ture of health!
In Trim for Summer
Alpacas, Clive and Rufus, and llamas, Diamond and Tori have received a visit from the shearer this morning and are now sporting their airier summer coats. Llamas and alpacas both have very woolly fleeces, which need to be shorn every couple of years. The four-legged favourites now look very trim and are ready for some summer sun.
Giant Lollipops
The keepers have given many of the animals giant lollipops made from frozen fruit, including the primates and racoons. The otters have also received ice blocks made of fish. This not only helps to keep the animals cool, it also offers enrichment to their daily lives by encouraging them to work a little harder for their food as they would in the wild.
The Sun Worshippers
Many of the animals enjoy the sun and like nothing more than to laze about. The zoo’s ring-tailed lemurs love to sunbathe in a lotus-style position, with their arms and legs extended. They have wasted no time basking in the heat!