The most important thing in the heat is that the animals can lie in cooler places to regulate their body temperature and that they have shade under bushes and trees, for example, according to Johan Deander, animal keeper at Skansen.
Then, in most enclosures, there is some kind of pool or stream of water where they can cool off. Some animals also like to bathe in water sprinklers, he says.
The park also freezes parts of the animals' food, such as meat for the predators, fish for the seals or vegetables for the pigs, which are served in blocks like popsicles.
It's a way to give them an outlet for their natural behaviours. They have to fight more for their food, but it's also cooling for them, so we do it a little more often now that it's so hot, says Johan Deander.
Maya Väppling, animal keeper at Kolmården Zoo, also says that shade, swimming and ice cream are a winning concept for many species.
Predators and dolphins really appreciate getting popsicles with something tasty in them. Bears in particular like to take them down to different waterholes and float around with them to cool off.
Many species also have their own natural ways of adapting to the high temperatures. Animals like moose, wolverines and lynx are more active at dawn and dusk, pigs cool off in mud that dries into a sunshade, while other species have built-in protection against the heat.
Giraffes, for example, have blood vessels under the spots on their bodies that help them conduct and release heat so they can stay cooler, says Maya Väppling.
