Sydney Zoo Animals Beat the Heat With Icy Treats

Animals at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo are beating the heat and keeping cool thanks to some tasty treats.

“As temperatures soar, we must keep our animals comfortable and provide plenty of shade and fresh cool water,” keeper Emily Partridge said, adding that “enrichment items” can also be provided.

Video from the zoo shows a cassowary enjoying a cool shower, and a host of animals enjoying their icy treats. Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo via Storyful

Video transcript

EMILY PARTRIDGE: Good day. My name is Emily Partridge. And I'm a zookeeper here at Wildlife Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbor. As temperatures rise, it's important for us to keep our animals comfortable. We can do this by providing plenty of shade and fresh cool water. But we can also provide them with enrichment items to help them beat the heat.

Wildlife Sydney Zoo's resident southern cassowary, Princess, was offered a nice cool shower under the hose. Cassowaries are found in tropical far North Queensland and have a natural love of water. Princess gets really excited when we offer him a cool shower under the hose in the warmer months. Guests can see Princess shake his body to make sure the cool water gets right in between all of his feathers and contacts his skin.

Pet owners can make ice blocks for their pets by freezing some of their favorite treats to help them beat the heat. It's really important to ensure your pets have plenty of shade and fresh, clean water. When warmer weather is predicted, it's really important that we remember our native wildlife, like our iconic koalas.

We can help them by providing water for them in our backyards, by placing a shallow dish of water in the shade and refreshing it daily. It gives them somewhere to come down and drink. It's really important to place a stick or some stones in the water bowl to allow smaller animals an escape route if need be.