Frozen treats help creatures chill during heatwave

Animals at a York conservation park enjoyed ice-cold treats to help them cool down in the heatwave.

Lemurs, meerkats and pigs have been snacking on frozen fruit, vegetables and leaves at Askham Bryan Wildlife and Conservation Park to cope with soaring temperatures.

"There's a good amount of food, all different, it's all frozen in a bowl of water and then we put it out on a string," explained Declan Smart, instructor keeper at the park, which is part of Askham Bryan College.

It comes as comes as the UK Health Security Agency amber heat-health alert across parts of northern England continued.

"Some of our animals are struggling, especially the pigs, they're quite out in the sun, at the minute we're trying to make sure they've got a good wallow," said Smart.

However, some of the animals were enjoying the heatwave as it meant the temperatures were closer to where they would be in their natural habitat.

"The tortoises are out and about, the lemurs are used to the hot and tropical climates," he said.

The amber alert, which covers parts of Yorkshire, runs until Friday, with BBC Yorkshire Climate Correspondent Paul Hudson forecasting temperatures could reach as high as 35C (95F) in some places.

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