Humans weren't the only ones tying to keep cool in the baking weather on Wednesday with animals at the Cotswold Wildlife Park also enjoying ice-treats and swims.

With the current heatwave sweeping Oxfordshire, zoo keepers have been treating the animals under their care to some cooling enrichments.

Ring-tailed lemur twins sunk their teeth into refreshing watermelon and frozen fruit ice lollies for the first time, while a penguin chick made its public debut on one of the hottest days of the year so far.

After venturing out of the nest box, it headed straight for the sprinkler before taking its first plunge into the penguin pool. 

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Chris Kibbey, assistant animal manager at Cotswold Wildlife Park said: "It’s hot, hot, hot here in the Cotswolds, and keepers have to be prepared to keep themselves and the animals under their care cool.

"As always, we ensure all animals have access to adequate shade and plenty of water, but with hot temperatures forecast, it also allows us to be a little inventive with our enrichment.

"The Lemurs were given frozen fruit popsicles made using ingredients from their normal diet – berries, pear and grapes which they enjoyed.

"Sometimes simply freezing an animals’ diet in an ice block provides a stimulating challenge for them, as was the case for our tapirs Gomez and Lolita who devoured their melon, pear and banana frozen treat in no time."

Yum, yum, yum for this lemur tum! Yum, yum, yum for this lemur tum! (Image: Cotswold Wildlife Park)

The meerkats at the park near Carterton used their strong claws to break through the watermelon skin before using their snout and tongue to lap up the insides.

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The ring-tailed lemur twins, born earlier this year, also enjoyed their first taste of watermelon in the sun. 

Mr Kibbey added: "Who doesn’t like a cold shower on a hot day? Humboldt penguins come from Chile and Peru where it is hot.

"Our British-born penguins still appreciate a hose down when it is particularly warm.

"Our new as-yet-unsexed and unnamed penguin chick surprised visitors by venturing out of its nest box for the first time and enjoyed a cooling spray from the sprinkler before taking its first dip in the penguin pool". 

A big - and hot - day out for the youngest penguin at the Park.A big - and hot - day out for the youngest penguin at the Park. (Image: Cotswold Wildlife Park)

From wherever the Park's species originate, there was something to keep them cool - from Brazil's largest mammal the tapirs, while the ring-tailed, red bellied and crowned lemurs originally come from Madagascar.

Cotswold Wildlife Park is one of the largest zoological collections in the UK, with more than 1,500 animals from 250 different species, set in 160 acres of  parkland.