Courtesy, Boston.com
It was not that easy to keep the animals cool at the Franklin Park Zoo. Staffers used mist to cool parrots and sprayed ostriches with a hose. Wading pools helped chill the tapirs, mammals that look like a cross between an elephant and a hog. They were rubbed down with sunscreen designed for babies (water- and tear-proof with a sun protection factor of 30 to 50).
“They don’t make sunscreen for tapirs,” said Jeannine Jackle, a zoo curator.
The special summer treat is saved for lions, wild dogs, and other carnivores. The zoo makes blood Popsicles from the liquid left behind by meat used for feed.
“It’s kind of gross,” Jackle said, “but the animals really like it.”
