JAPAN: Polar bears at Tokyo zoo seek respite from summer heat with the help of giant ice cubes

Record ID: 463576

  • Title: JAPAN: Polar bears at Tokyo zoo seek respite from summer heat with the help of giant ice cubes
  • Date: 26th July 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) SAWAYA MATSUMOTO, 5, ZOO VISITOR, SAYING: "They must feel so good."
  • Embargoed: 10th August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4CL6W2OEPUD9J8NFHEVGAHBV1
  • Story Text: In the sweltering heat of Japanese summer, polar bears at a Tokyo zoo were given a special treat on Sunday (July 20) to help them keep cool.
    With the temperatures in Tokyo topping 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) for nine consecutive days, the bears used to arctic weather were finding it unbearable.
    So zoo keepers at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, decided to give them huge ice cubes -- with fruit and other treats frozen inside.
    With their sharp teeth and powerful jaws, the polar bears were quick to get to the chilled snacks.
    As people watched, the two bears pushed around the blocks weighing 70 kg (154.3 lbs), playing with it before dropping them into the pond.

    "They must feel so good," said five-year-old visitor Sawaya Matsumoto.
    Chiaki Nakamura, a 37-year-old mother of two, thought otherwise.

    "I wish they had given them more ice. It doesn't seem to be enough for them, given this hot weather."
    Zoo officials say the event is meant to give the bears a break from Tokyo's hot, humid summer.

    "We just wanted to give the bears a short break from the summer heat by giving them a cool, fun thing," said Waka Otozu, an Ueno Zoo official. "We hope they are enjoying it."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
Register