Zoo’s chimpanzees cool off with lollies treat

Chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo are making the most of this week’s hot temperatures by kicking back and sucking on ice-lollies.

Keepers at the zoo have created some specially made chimpanzee frozen treats to help the animals in the unseasonably warm conditions.

Dee Masters, head keeper at the chimp enclosures, said: “The frozen treats are a lot like healthy ice-lollies. We mix fruit juice and chopped fruit, sometimes honey and peanuts too, and freeze them.

“We do all sorts of different flavours, even herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint.

“It’s a big treat for our chimpanzees, so we are expecting lots of excited, pant hoot, calls, which is how our chimps communicate that there is something good to eat. In the wild they live on a hugely varied diet, so it is important we offer them a lot of variety.

“Root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips and sweet potatoes, which are high in fibre and good for their digestive system, are a daily staple for them.”