Heatwave: How do animals keep cool in the heat?

Temperatures have soared above 30C this week - and it's not just humans who have been trying to keep cool.

All over Britain, it's been a particularly busy week for zookeepers, who have had to think of ways to help their animals to cope with the heat.

So, how do they do it?

This lioness was photographed cooling down beside a sprinkler at Blair Drummond Safari Park

One solution helping animals to be more comfortable is using ice in inventive ways.

Head keeper at Drusillas Park Zoo in East Sussex explains: "Animals do not perspire in the same way as humans do, so we use the ice blocks to keep them comfortable in the heat.

"Ultimately, they are after what is inside, but their mouths and paws are also cooled during the process."

This gorilla at London Zoo is having a great time with his ice lolly

The giant lollies also encourage them to work a little harder for their food, just like they would in the wild.

Jessica Courtenay-Jones, who is a keeper at London Zoo, told the BBC: "Every animal is different, some deal with the heat better than others."

Check out these Asian elephants at Chester Zoo taking a dip

"We've got ice lollies for them. The lions and tigers get giant blood lollies and the penguins get fish lollies.

"Mucking out the animals is a little more smelly. We'll tend to go in a bit earlier to get it done earlier.

"The hard graft work is done in the early morning."

Even squirrel monkeys like this one at London Zoo like an ice lolly every now and again