PHOTOS Relief for Zoo Animals from Africa During Europe’s Heatwave

The heatwave which gripped parts of Europe in the past few days was felt not just by millions of humans, but by the many wild animals held captive in zoos across the continent. As temperatures rose to record-breaking figures – 45.9 degrees in southern France – Reuters photographers captured photos of some of the zoo inhabitants (many originally from Africa) receiving welcome relief from the heat…

Fossas (cat-like carnivorous mammals from Madagascar) eat frozen rabbit blood and rabbit head at the Paris Zoological Park in the Bois de Vincennes in the east of Paris, France:

A chimpanzee holds ice with nuts and fruits at Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich, Germany:

A hippopotamus rests in its enclosure in Schoenbrunn Zoo, as the heatwave hit Vienna, Austria:

Another hippo at the same zoo in Vienna takes a dip:

A caretaker feeds sea lion Yassie, 4, with gelatine cubes at the Paris Zoological Park:

Caretakers throw ice to the sea lions at the Paris Zoological Park:

Caretakers feed sea lions Kito,14, and Yassie, 4, with gelatine cubes at the Paris Zoological Park:

Humboldt penguins (from South America) stand in enclaves behind sprinklers at the Paris Zoological Park:

A young orangutan looks a little too fatigued to play with its yellow ball at Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich, Germany:

Even tame animals found a way to cope with the heat. A dog cools off in the water of a fountain in Berlin, Germany:

A reminder to plant more trees! This photo was taken 16 years ago, near Bordeaux in France when high summer temperatures hit the region. Cows seek cover under the shade of a tree: