Having an ice time at Woburn Safari park

Keepers at the safari found novel ways to help keep the animals cool in the summer heat.

Quisby the Barbary macaque tucked into a tasty ‘ice lolly’ in the hot weather – filled with frozen seeds and fruits!

The monkey was keen to investigate the treats frozen inside the ice, carefully trying to pick the seeds out before taking a big bite!

Barbary macaques are a hardy primate species and can tolerate both dry arid weather but also freezing cold conditions, therefore the troop of Barbary macaques at Woburn Safari Park have all year access to the enclosure and are never shut in any housing. This allows the troop to behave as naturally as possible, using the many trees within the enclosure to climb and roost in, forage through the many log piles created by the keepers and play like primates are well known for!

Female southern white rhinos Mirijam and Mkuzi found another way to keep cool, by enjoying a long mud bath!

The rhinos are known to regulate their body temperature by coating themselves entirely in cool mud which provides a protection layer and as the liquid evaporates it reduces the temperature of the skin.

The pair could be seen rolling around and flopping down in the mud –making the most of a needed cool down in the hot summer weather!

Woburn Safari Park is home to a number of Southern White Rhino which can be seen in the Savannah Grasslands section of the Road Safari. They are able to roam in their 42 acre exhibit with a number of other African species including eland, Grevy's zebra and common ostrich.

Przewalski’s horses Jericho and Kiew tucked into their very own tasty ‘ice lollies’ – filled with frozen carrots and apples!

Jericho and Kiew could be seen licking the frozen ice, trying to get to the tasty carrots hidden inside. The Przewalski’s horse is a rare and endangered subspecies of the wild horse, with a stocky build and have shorter legs compared to the domesticated horse.

The North American black bears Dixie and Koda were spotted chilling out – with Koda enjoying a rest in his hammock and Dixie taking a dip in the pond to cool off!

Woburn Safari Park is home to 11 North American black bears, which roam freely within a 12-acre reserve. All 11 of the bears live outside 365 days a year, displaying natural behaviours such as climbing trees, making their own dens and cooling off in the hot summer weather.

And emus Bruce and Sheila enjoyed a cool dip during this weekend’s hot weather. Keeper Hannah caught this footage of the pair making the most of the cool water as temperatures rose to almost 30 degrees. They could be seen rolling over and dropping down into the mud, as well as having fun splashing about! Emus are the second largest bird in the world and are known to be strong swimmers.