Ice lollies help tigers keep their cool

With temperatures soaring, keepers at the park are treating North American black bears, Barbary macaques and critically endangered Amur tigers by hiding homemade lollies throughout their reserves for them to find.

The tigers wasted no time in tucking into delicious frozen blood lollies which were hidden across their nine-acre reserve, encouraging them to stalk, hunt and climb, as they would in the wild.

After squabbling over their treats, the playful sisters managed to drop one in their pool and had a great time playing with their new floating toy.

Woburn’s North American black bears, including the park’s most confident bear, Big Mac, were excited to discover a treasure trove of frozen ice lollies made of fruit and vegetables.

Woburn Safari Park is the only place in the UK where visitors can see this bear species.

The troop of Barbary macaques enjoyed low-sugar iced treats made of a mixture of nuts, seeds, yellow peppers, radish and celeriac, before taking a dip in the pool.

Team leader Chris Smart said: “With the weather so hot this week, it has been lovely to see the animals’ reactions to the iced treats.

“Enrichment is extremely important as it enhances the quality of the animals’ lives.

“We are always trying to find new ways to provide enrichment at Woburn. It’s all about encouraging them to engage in natural behaviours.”