CHICAGO (WGN) As Chicago faced its first heat wave of the summer season, animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo beat the heat with some cool treats.
Umande, a western lowland gorilla living at the zoo’s Regenstein Center for African Apes, enjoyed a hanging “gorilla popsicle” made with diluted juice, sugar-free Kool-Aid and fresh herbs from the zoo’s garden.
A black bear named Birch stayed cool by munching on a large pile of crushed ice.
Zoo officials said animal welfare is one of the top priorities at the zoo, which includes making sure the animals are comfortable during all four seasons.
Each animal at the zoo has an indoor habitat, and outdoor habitats are equipped with cooling features like streams, shade structures and even rocks with air conditioning, the zoo said.
