Prague Zoo deployed nearly three tons of ice on Wednesday to help its polar bears cope with a central European heat wave, as temperatures across the Czech Republic were forecast to climb toward 40 degrees Celsius.
Polar bear twins Aleut and Gregor, born at Nuremberg Zoo in December 2010, rolled in beds of ice cubes laced with frozen cuttlefish treats. The zoo also installed roughly ten new misting stations, bringing the total operating across the grounds to 28.
The measure comes after the Czech Republic recorded its hottest day ever on June 28, when temperatures hit 41.9 degrees Celsius. Prague Zoo is also planning a new polar bear enclosure, expected to cost around 30 million euros and be completed by 2029.