Taipei Zoo has taken measures to alleviate the suffering of its animals which are finding it difficult to endure this infernal summer heat the. Zoo authorities have not only installed sprinkler devices to spray the animals, they have also started distributing fruit and vegetable ice to the animals as refreshments. Visitors can observe Formosan rock macaques rushing to jump around in the water as they devour ice to cool themselves down.
Taipei Zoo director Jason Yeh said that animals from the earth’s temperate zones, such as brown bears, black bears, and American buffalo, have the most difficulty enduring the heat. Therefore, devices used to lower the temperature are installed in each display area. The display site for animals from Asian tropical rain forests provides the animals with artificial torrential rains every hour to simulate the level of precipitation that would actually occur in a natural habitat. Many visitors come to the area just to expose themselves to the man-made rain.
Every animal has its own particular way of cooling itself. For example, the hippopotamus stays in the water all day, and only goes to shore to look for food at nightfall after the temperature has fallen. The macaques prefer to play in the water-filled ditches of their enclosure, and even climb up their rock walls to jump into the water. The gibbons, on the other hand, naturally dislike water and only climb up into their trees to get out of the sun.
Photo: Courtesy of Taipei Zoo
照片：台北市立動物園提供
The zoo alternates which animals it gives fruit and vegetable ice, which is only available on a limited basis during the summer months. When they get around to the macaques, the zoo staff makes a mixture of their favorites — watermelon, apples, and guava — which they freeze in water mixed with brown sugar and honey.
Yeh also said that there is an obvious hierarchy of dominance among the macaques. Whenever the alpha male is around, the other macaques do not get close to the fruit ice. Therefore, the staff has to strategically place fruit ice in different areas of the enclosure at the same time. After the younger macaques have observed the alpha male’s behavior for a while, they quickly run to a safe place so they can enjoy their own small portion of the delectable ice treat.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
台北市立動物園採取行動，減輕園內動物在炎熱夏天中，忍受日曬的痛苦。園方不但增加灑水噴霧裝置幫忙降溫，也製作清涼的蔬果冰給動物清涼一下。遊客可見一隻隻台灣獼猴們不是搶著跳水，就是吃冰圖個涼快。
動物園長葉傑生說，天氣酷熱對小棕熊、黑熊、美洲野牛等溫帶區動物最難耐，各展場都加裝降溫設施；介紹亞洲熱帶雨林動物的區更是每個整點提供「人工大雨體驗」裝置，模擬雨林降雨，也吸引不少遊客特別來「淋人造雨」。
園區內的動物們也各有各的消暑奇招。例如，河馬整天都泡在水裡，只在傍晚、氣溫稍降才上岸覓食。台灣獼猴最愛在欄舍的水壕中戲水，甚至攀上岩壁來個跳水；相形之下，天生怕水的長臂猿只敢攀在樹上躲避太陽。
園方也輪流給動物們夏日限定的蔬果冰。工作人員們以猴子們最愛的西瓜、蘋果及芭樂加入黑糖蜂蜜水製成水果冰，提供獼猴們享用。
葉傑生說，由於台灣獼猴的階級明顯，當「猴王」在場時，其餘猴子、猴孫不敢隨意接近水果冰，保育員必須將好幾塊冰分散供應，只見小猴子們會先觀察猴王的動靜，再拿著小碎冰趕快跑到安全的地方，才會安心享用令他們愉快的冰。
（自由時報記者邱紹雯）
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