The staff of the zoo, located on the edge of the famous Villa Borghese, one of the most beautiful parks in the city, seems to have found the right recipe for the 39 degrees recorded Tuesday in the Eternal City.
Near the entrance to the park, a group of Japanese macaques throw themselves on the ice cream made from fresh fruit (plums, bananas, melons) and cereals thrown by the employees directly into their swimming pool, under the amused gaze of the visitors.
A little further on, Samantha and Boomer, the couple of sea lions in the park, have the chance to taste delicious ice cubes made from fish, while the felines are treated to flavors of ice cream that are also very original: meat and blood!
But it’s not just food to refresh the animals. Sofia, an Asian elephant, receives cold showers and has a large bathtub. She also uses her own techniques: rolling in the mud and spraying sand and earth with her trunk.
Notwithstanding the aid put in place, Yitzhak Yadid, the director of the zoo, does not hide his concern: “The heat has arrived earlier, and I am a little worried for our animals, it is not easy for them, I hope it won’t last all summer, because these record high temperatures aren’t easy for anyone to bear,” he told AFP thoughtfully.
However, he assures that the animals live in good conditions, “all monitored by our staff 24 hours a day”. He also emphasizes that shade and plenty of water are essential conditions for animal health during this heat wave.
According to the weather forecast, temperatures are expected to remain high in Rome in the coming weeks, making ice cream distributions even more essential.
