WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Malayan tigers and Aldabra tortoises are native to hot and humid lands, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy a frozen treat on a hot Florida summer day.
Temperatures in South Florida this month have reached the upper 90s with humidity reaching 70 percent, combining for “feels like” temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees.
Staff at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society use a variety of techniques to keep their animals cool. Zookeepers throw large piles of ice into the black bear enclosure for the animals to wallow in, chilling their pool to 74 degrees. The otters get ice blocks and frozen fish tossed into their water for playing and eating.
Tigers feast on more ingenious treats: They get frozen cow bones crammed into blocks of ice, along with a side of frozen goat milk. The big cats also like to swim.