Zoo animals in sweltering Rio get frozen treats to cool off

Felines and bears at the Rio de Janeiro zoo in Brazil are getting frozen concoctions based on their usual fare to help them endure temperatures topping 40 C (104 F).

The big cats get a sorbet of meat and blood, while the bears enjoy giant fruit popsicles.

“The felines and the bears are the animals that suffer the most from the heat because they come from environments with less extreme temperatures,” the zoo’s coordinator, biologist Laura Nunhes told EFE.

Besides the frozen treats, the zoo also installed sprinklers in the cages and air conditioners in the spaces where the animals sleep.

Temperatures in Rio have surpassed 40 C (104 F) on numerous days since the official start of the Southern Hemisphere summer on Dec. 21.