Iced lollies and sun cream for hot zoo animals

Water from a hosepipe provided "a little drip" for otters

"Our otters absolutely love just a hosepipe, so we'll typically tie a hosepipe up in their tree."

Kirsten Massey, a keeper at Telford's Exotic Zoo, in Shropshire, has been explaining how they help the animals to cope in the heat.

As well as hosepipes for the otters, the keepers put sun cream on the pigs, fill paddling pools for meerkats and make ice lollies with the animals' favourite snacks inside.

The heat is expected to ease for most on Thursday with some thunderstorms but temperatures will rise again on Friday.

Keeping the animals cool could be "just as fun for us as it is for the animal," Ms Massey said.

"[Otters are] really funny and they really love using their hands for stuff. So they'll tend to try and catch the water, rather than try and drink it.

"So that's always a really fun one to do."

Animals were relaxed and "feeling really chilled", the zoo said

Staff have been also filling paddling pools for meerkats and putting sun cream on pigs.

Ms Massey said: "We absolutely love children's padding pools here at the zoo.

"They're shallow, they're nice and safe, we fill them up with nice cold water and the animals can just do whatever they want.

"Some will literally sit in them and just stay in them all day. Some will have a little bit of a splash, have a little bit of a drink and just kind of enjoy them."

Owner Scott Adams, pictured with keeper Kirsten Massey, said the zoo had been making animals ice lollies with their favourite snacks in them

It's the more domesticated animals who suffer in the hotter weather, the zoo said.

"One of our male Pygmy goats... he often gets sunburnt on his little pink nose, so we'll come by every morning and blob a little bit on his nose."

Capybaras "like it when it's nice and warm", the zoo said

Owner Scott Adams said people liked a cold treat to cool them down on a sunny day and the zoo was "doing similar things" for animals.

"We've been making them some ice lollies with their favourite snacks in it, maybe some fruit, maybe some vegetables and then they've got a bit of enrichment.

"They've got to break it open to get into their food and then also it's got the nice cooling [effect] of the ice cream and ice lolly."

He added: "The animals are enjoying the heat, we're enjoying the heat and as long as it doesn't get too, too hot, I think everybody's gonna be really happy."