Baghdad Zoo staff use frozen treats to keep animals cool in the unforgiving summer heat

(4 Jul 2024) IRAQ ZOO HEAT SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS RESTRICTION SUMMARY: LENGTH: 3:00 ASSOCIATED PRESS Baghdad, Iraq - 3 July 2024 1. Various of Siberian tiger inside fenced pool in Baghdad Zoo to help it cope with the heat 2. Various of tigers eating frozen meat 3. Various of zookeeper cooling bear using water from hose 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fares Salim Hantosh, veterinarian: "It is a very hot summer. We try as much as possible to create an environment similar to the animal's natural environment. In the summer, we provide the animals with swimming pools, coolers, frozen fruit and we spray the them with water. All this is meant to try and reduce the stress caused by high temperatures." 5. Zookeeper preparing frozen fish for bear 6. Frozen fish 7. Various of bear eating frozen fish inside its cage 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fares Salim Hantosh, veterinarian: "Stress may lead to the decline of the animals’ immunity and may expose them to heatstroke. Specialized veterinary staff monitor the health status of the animals in the zoo every day." 9. Various of lions in cage getting cold air from cooler 10. Various of birds' house with cooler providing cold air 11. Various of birds seen through glass 12. Zoo worker walking next to monkeys' cages 13. Various of monkeys drinking water 14. Various of monkeys eating frozen fruit 15. Various of llamas cooling off next to air cooler in covered area 16. Wide of Baghdad Zoo entrance STORYLINE: A Siberian tiger at the Baghdad Zoo takes a dip in a pool built just to help the big cat cope with the Iraqi capital's scorching summer heat. Staff at the zoo are using everything from cold water, to air coolers and frozen treats to help the animals cope with the hot days. Both man and beast need to find ways to stay cool in the unrelenting heat as temperatures can soar up to 45 C (113 F) in Baghdad. The zookeepers are trying to make sure the animals in their care do not experience heat stress. The lions at the zoo spend their days by the air cooler while the bears are provided with frozen fish snacks to help them cool down. "It is a very hot summer. We try as much as possible to create an environment similar to the animal's natural environment," said Fares Salim Hantosh, a vet. The zookeepers are trying to create bearable conditions for the animals that come from colder climates. Temperatures in Siberian tiger's natural habitat, for instance, can drop to subzero. The animals need cooling relief because the stress from the heat can lower their immunity and affect their health, Hantosh said. "Specialized veterinary staff monitor the health status of the animals in the zoo every day," he added. The Baghdad Zoo had fallen into disrepair and was ransacked by looters following the U.S. invasion in 2003. The zoo —once the Middle East's largest— is currently in a far better state since it made a comeback. It was officially reopened in 2007 following renovations and is now home to more than 1,100 animals. The zoo is located in the Zawraa Park in central Baghdad, a cherished recreational area that offers a rare expanse of greenery in the city. AP video shot by Ali Jabar =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/460a5df4077a40d…

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