Cotswold Wildlife Park creates record number of icy treats

During a recent heatwave, Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire produced its highest-ever number of frozen treats and ice enrichments to help animals stay cool in May’s soaring temperatures.

Chris Kibbey, assistant animal manager, said: “With the hottest temperatures ever recorded for May, keepers have been working extra hard to ensure the animals they care for stay cool.

“As well as ensuring they have access to fresh drinking water, shade and cool indoor areas, keepers have been using their culinary skills to create unique flavoured ice lollies for some of the animals using all natural ingredients – many taken from their normal diet.”

From its smallest monkey, Mabel the tiny pygmy marmoset, to the tallest residents, the giraffes, the cooling ice blocks proved a welcome relief.

Lemurs received ice lollies made from cucumber and pear, while bamboo lemurs were given a blend of cucumber and celery.

Mabel the pygmy marmoset tried a new enrichment of frozen Arabic gum, which she would normally consume by gouging holes in trees.

Larger animals were given bigger frozen ice blocks, including Bactrian camels who munched on ice blocks filled with carrot, cabbage, watermelon and apple.

Four-week-old camel calf Klaus enjoyed his very first ice treat.

Charlotte, a mammal keeper, said: “It was really sweet to see Klaus enjoying his first ice lolly – he was one of the first over to investigate it and seemed to really enjoy nibbling on the cooling treat.”