Zoo animals get cool treat to help them cool off

(23 Jul 2013)
AP TELEVISION
1. Zoom in on bears being fed with a block of frozen fruit thrown at them, then bears playing with it
2. Close up of bear hugging a block of frozen fruit
3. Mid shot of zoo staff arriving carrying frozen fruit
4. Close up of a frozen fruit block
5. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Federico Coccia, President of Rome's Bioparco zoo:
"We found that ice stimulates our animals' curiosity, the curiosity to play and get to the inside of this toy, where they find fruit which refreshes them. Because fruit preserved in the ice is fresh."
6. Zoom in on bears licking a block of frozen fruit launched to them
7. Mid shot of a visitor watching through glass a bear eating
8. Mid shot of a bear eating, seen through glass
9. Wide shot of visitors walking next to enclosure fence
10. Wide shot of seals swimming in their pool
11. Mid shot of visitors watching from enclosure fence
12. Mid shot of zoo operator (Mauro) feeding a seal
13. Wide shot of zoo operators (Mauro, right, and Marvin) walking around with seals
14. Mid shot of zoo operator (Mauro) feeding a seal, which then dives into the water
15. Close up of block of ice with frozen fish floating in seals' pool
16. Wide shot of zoo operator (Monica) in lemur enclosure with lemur
17. Close up of lemur climbing to get fruit ice pop
18. Mid shot of lemur lapping at fruit ice pop
19. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Fabio Ferretti, team leader for primates and carnivorous at Rome's Bioparco zoo:
"What we gave them are fruit shakes. The fruit they eat every day, we simply freeze it and hang it. They use it a lot also for lapping; they lap a lot, ice and fresh things are very important and refreshing to them."
20. Wide shot of visitor going under a water fan in the zoo
21. Close up of zoo's water fan
22. Wide shot of visitors walking into zoo with children
STORYLINE:
Brown bears, Luca and Nino, at Rome's Bioparco zoo were treated to fruit ice pops on Tuesday, as the country swelters in its first heatwave of the summer.
Chunks of ice with fruit frozen inside were thrown to the 250 kilogramme (550 pound) bears, as they cooled off in the pool, visibly happy by the cool treats.
Zoo keepers are using beat-the-heat diet strategies to keep the animals fresh and help them fight high temperatures, expected to reach 40 degrees (104 degrees Fahrenheit) at the weekend.
Federico Coccia, President of Rome's Bioparco zoo, says bears are among the animals most affected by the heat. And it's not only about finding relief from high temperatures.
"We found that ice stimulates our animals' curiosity, the curiosity to play and get to the inside of this toy, where they find fruit which refreshes them. Because fruit preserved in the ice is fresh," he said.
But not all the zoo's animals enjoy the icy treats.
Under the eyes of curious visitors, the park's staff tried to feed seals with frozen fish for the first time. While the two females, Michelle and Flo, ate their usual fish, they left untouched the frozen fish ice blocks.
Animals are not the only ones seeking refuge from the heat, and the zoo's cool water spray at the park entrance attracts visitors of every age.

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