On July 21^st, the scorching heat of Zhongfu (the second phase of Sanfu, which is also known as dog days) arrived, and the animals at Guangzhou Zoo found a delightful way to beat the heat - a refreshing watermelon feast! As temperatures soared, the zoo organized a special cooling activity for its inhabitants, including hippos, elephants, gorillas, and rhinos, among others.

The fun "watermelon party" began as a feeding truck loaded with juicy watermelons rolled into the park. Each animal had its own unique way of enjoying this summertime treat.

The 23-year-old hippo named "Handa" received some special treatment before indulging in the watermelon. The caretakers cleaned its mouth and gave it some carrots as appetizers. Submerged in water, "Handa" opened its massive mouth wide, and the caretakers skillfully fed the watermelon directly into its mouth. Crunching sounds filled the air as the hippo devoured the entire watermelon, and the juice overflowed. With their large mouths, hippos are the third-largest land animals, following only elephants and white rhinos. Their unique "rake-like" teeth are perfectly adapted for eating water weeds.

Huang Zhihong, the head of the Educational Department at Guangzhou Zoo, explained, "Hippos have a special mouth, so we can feed them a whole watermelon without cutting it. They can bite it themselves."

The elephant named "Yuelong" had its own distinctive approach to devouring watermelon. It utilized its long trunk, not just its mouth.

"Yuelong"extended its trunk, sniffing the aroma of the watermelon first. Then, with a gentle tug, it open the watermelon and skillfully used its long trunk to lift the fruit and deliver it straight to its mouth. Even the dropped rind did not go to waste; "Yuelong" promptly collected and ingested it as well.

The rhinos utilized their horns to crush the watermelon, savoring the sweet and succulent flesh after breaking it open.

Black gorillas ate the watermelon like humans, taking bite-sized pieces. The caretakers cut the watermelon into chunks, and the gorillas sat leisurely, enjoying their tasty treat.

Although the animals enjoyed their watermelon feast, they were not allowed to indulge too much. Huang Zhihong emphasized, "The amount of food is regulated according to each animal's characteristics. Watermelon is just a snack for them. For instance, a herbivore like a hippo can only eat around 5 kilograms of watermelon per day, out of a total daily food intake of approximately 100 kilograms, and a gorilla can only eat half a watermelon a day."

With the scorching summer days, what other ways do the animals have to stay cool? According to a manager at Guangzhou Zoo, they have implemented various measures to help the animals beat the heat, taking into consideration the local weather conditions. These measures will be in place until October. During this period, the zoo has tailored different cooling strategies for various animals to ensure they have a comfortable summer.

To keep the wild animals at Guangzhou Zoo cool, the park has prepared air conditioning, fans, ice blocks, and cooling sprays. Additionally, they provide cooling herbal tea and chilled fruits as food options.

Huang Zhihong reminded visitors that animals primarily rely on physical cooling methods, and watermelon and other fruits are merely summertime snacks for them. It is essential for visitors not to feed the animals on their own and follow the zoo's guidelines to ensure the well-being of the animals during the summer months.

图集｜中伏天，看广州动物园的动物们花式吃瓜！

7月21日恰逢中伏天，暑气最盛的日子来了。广州动物园的动物们迎来了消暑活动，除了玩冰、吹空调，还吃上了西瓜，感受清凉一“夏”。

一辆载着西瓜的饲料车驶入园区，河马、大象、黑猩猩、犀牛等夏日“吃瓜”活动开启。动物的吃西瓜方式各有特色——

冲口腔、刷牙……在吃西瓜前，保育员帮23岁的河马“憨达”先清洁口腔，喂食胡萝卜垫垫肚。泡在水中的河马“憨达”张开大嘴巴，保育员将西瓜投喂到它口中。嘎嘣嘎嘣……河马“憨达”一口将整个西瓜吞到嘴里，汁水四溢。拥有大嘴巴的河马是陆地上第三大动物，仅次于大象和白犀牛。河马能将嘴巴张开至150度，独一无二的“耙齿”能够帮助它们吃水草。

广州动物园科普教育部部长黄志宏介绍：“河马有独特的大嘴巴，给它们投喂西瓜不用切开，一整个喂即可。它们能自主咬食。”

大象“跃龙”吃西瓜的方式颇为独特，不仅用嘴巴，还用上长长的鼻子。

只见大象“跃龙”伸长鼻子，先嗅一嗅西瓜味道，稍一用力“掰”开西瓜，再顺势用长鼻子一勾一吸，轻松把西瓜送到嘴巴里。连掉落来的西瓜瓢也不浪费，统统送进嘴巴。

犀牛吃西瓜则用了犀牛角，它们用犀牛角将西瓜压碎后，再慢慢品尝甜美可口的瓜瓤。

黑猩猩吃西瓜的方式和人类相似，一块一块进食。保育员把西瓜切成块，黑猩猩接过西瓜后，坐在一旁优哉游哉地品尝了起来。

动物们能吃西瓜，但不能贪吃。黄志宏表示，“保育员会根据动物特性调配食物的量，西瓜只是动物们的小零食。比如草食动物河马一天要吃大约200斤的食物，一天只能吃10斤西瓜；黑猩猩一天只能吃半个西瓜”。

炎炎夏日，动物还有哪些消暑方式？据广州动物园相关负责人介绍，广州动物园根据广州气温，开展动物防暑降温工作，将持续至10月份。在此期间，广州动物园根据不同动物的习性，制定不同的防暑降温套餐，确保所有动物能清凉一“夏”。

为了让广州动物园的野生动物安然度夏，园方准备了空调、风扇、冰块、降温喷雾等消暑用具，还有凉茶、冰镇水果等食品。

黄志宏提醒，动物主要通过物理降温方式消暑，西瓜等水果只是动物们夏天的小零食，市民游客千万不要擅自投喂动物。

文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 马思泳
图｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 陈秋明
翻译｜刘佳慧
责编 | 王楠
校对 | 赵丹丹