Greek zoo provides frozen treats to assist animals beat the warmth

By Derek Gatopoulos | Related Press

SPATA, Greece — At first sight, Tiembe research his frozen breakfast with hesitation: Chunks of crimson meat and bone packed in a foot-long block of ice.

The 15-year-old Angolan lion ultimately licks the ice earlier than gnawing free items of meat.

Animals on the Attica Zoological Park outdoors the Greek capital have been being fed frozen meals Friday as temperatures across the nation reached 40 C (107.5 F) and have been set to rise additional, within the fourth warmth wave in lower than a month.

The acute temperatures and wildfires — a rising concern for biodiversity in southern Europe — have had an impression on Greek wildlife.

A fireplace on the island of Rhodes burned for 11 successive days, triggering the evacuation of 20,000 individuals, largely vacationers.

The island’s animals have been much less lucky.

As the hearth tore by means of mountain forests and a nature reserve, an estimated 2,500 animals and beehives have been burned, together with 50,000 olive bushes, in keeping with Agriculture Ministry officers. Fallow deer, an emblem of Rhodes, have been discovered mendacity useless on the roadside.

The zoo, which is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of Athens, is taking care of an injured deer and several other turtles — some fitted with wheels prized from toys to assist with their mobility — which suffered burns and different accidents in the course of the Rhodes fireplace.

Zoo curator Antonis Balas urged pet house owners to be extra aware of their animals at instances of utmost warmth, noting that lots of the common breeds of pets are from native cooler climates in Northern and Central Europe.

“Normally, warmth impacts animals in the identical approach that it impacts people,” Balas stated, after feeding fruit popsicles to ring-tailed lemurs, some clambering onto his shoulders to get served first.

“The iced treats are a complement to their meals … they lick the ice and breathe within the cool air. That’s in distinction to individuals who sweat as a approach of controling their physique temperature.

Ten main wildfires struck Greece in July, and included main blazes outdoors Athens. Greater than 450 pet canines and cats have been rescued from fires, many left of their properties because the house owners fled, in keeping with a charity that works with a state animal company. About half have been reunited with their house owners, the others positioned in non permanent adoption.

Within the wake of the Greek fires, the worldwide animal charity PETA urged animal house owners to not abandon their pets.

Elisa Allen, the group’s vp for packages, stated the fires additionally served as a reminder that the animal farming business is a significant international contributor to local weather change.

“The place there’s smoke, there’s fireplace and on this case, nobody ought to ignore how animal agriculture’s greenhouse fuel emissions gasoline the local weather disaster and create the situations that permit wildfires unfold,” Allen informed The Related Press.