Keepers at Longleat Safari Park have come up with some unique ice lolly flavour combinations to keep their exotic animals chilled out during the current heatwave.
A particular favourite among the Wiltshire wildlife attraction’s herd of Rothschild’s giraffe is refreshing banana, carrot and willow ice blocks, which are suspended on a chain over five metres above the ground.
“The lollies are proving to be extremely popular with the animals; we tend to use ingredients we know they love already and then just freeze them overnight,” said Longleat’s Ian Turner.
“The giraffes lapped up the willow leaves. It is a bit of an operation to hoist them up to the right height, but it was definitely worth the effort,” he added.
The Rothschild’s giraffe has been officially designated as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which means it may be threatened with extinction in the near future.
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. Fully-grown male giraffes can grow to heights in excess of five and a half metres. They can reach speeds of up to 56 kilometres per hour and, in captivity, can live to be 25 years old.
Found throughout south east Asia and across the Indian subcontinent rhesus monkeys thrive in a wide variety of habitats and climates.
In some parts of India, they are believed to be sacred with the result that they have lived in close contact with humans for countless centuries – particularly in and around Buddhist and Hindu temples.
The Safari Park’s resident troupe of rhesus macaque monkeys are also enjoying cooling treats in the shape of monkey seed ice lollies.
Rhesus monkeys are extremely intelligent, naturally inquisitive animals which can learn to manipulate simple tools and distinguish colours and shapes.
Highly sociable they live in family troops of 20 or more led by a dominant male. Food is gathered as a group – one monkey acting as ‘look-out’ for danger, while the others fill their cheek pouches with as much food as they can.
