FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
On a triple digit Saturday in Fresno the animals at the Chaffee Zoo weren't complaining about the heat. You might say they were in popsicle paradise.
"Cool Zoo" is an annual summer event that makes a young giraffe gallop and warthogs feel like they're in hog heaven. Ruth Finch of Fresno says "Cool Zoo" is always a popular event. "It's fun so far. We're actually having a lot of fun at the zoo this year."
The elephants got a couple of treats that were more than just bite size. The popsicle will take a lot of licks to make it disappear and then there's the ice cream cone. Assistant Zoo Curator Harold Mountain says the cone features lots of goodies. "We also do a lot with misters, mud wallows. We have a lot of water areas where the animals can cool off if they have pools and things like that. There's even some air conditioned spaces for some that need it."
For the lemurs and some of their furry buddies there were delicious fruity ice treats. The Buenrostro family enjoyed their day. "I think it's a great idea especially being 100. A very nice treat for the animals."
Ingrid's daughter Alexa enjoyed seeing the animals rewarded with the tasty treats. Her favorite... the wolves. "Because I have a dog that looks exactly like the wolves. Her brother Andrew provided the sound effects: "grrrowllll."
Every animal in the zoo enjoyed a tasty treat. The elephants also got a shower from a fire hose. The zoo's enrichment program is designed to stimulate natural behaviors in the animals.
