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Heatwave: Longleat animals keeping cool with ice lollies

BBC Giraffe eating frozen treatBBC
The frozen blocks are suspended on a chain more than 5m above the ground for giraffes

Staff at a wildlife park have been handing out ice lollies to keep animals cool during the heatwave.

Monkeys and giraffes at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire have been enjoying the treats, which are made out of their favourite ingredients.

The attraction's herd of Rothschild's giraffes have been snacking on specially-prepared banana, carrot and willow ice blocks.

Longleat's Ian Turner said the giraffes "lapped up the willow leaves".

Longleat Safari Park Giraffe eating ice lollyLongleat Safari Park
The treats are "extremely popular" with the animals.

Mr Turner added: "It is a bit of an operation to hoist them up to the right height, but it was definitely worth the effort."

The park's resident troop of rhesus macaque monkeys were not missing out on the cooling treats, with staff preparing them monkey seed ice lollies.

Longleat Safari Park .Longleat Safari Park
Rhesus monkeys can learn to manipulate simple tools and distinguish colours and shapes

Mr Turner said the ice lollies were proving to be "extremely popular" with the animals.

"We tend to use ingredients we know they love already and then just freeze them overnight," he added.

Temperatures in Warminster, where Longleat is located, are set to reach 36C (96.8F) on Monday.

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