Blood iceblocks, frozen pillows help beat heat in Wellington

Thursday, 25 January 2018

Wellington Zoo animals gobble up icy treats in the sweltering heat on Thursday afternoon.

Blood iceblocks and snow parties are among the novel ways animals are keeping cool at Wellington Zoo, as New Zealand endures what could be its hottest month in more than a century.

The zoo's red pandas – which hail from the mountains of Nepal or central China – have been cooling down with regular ice, as well as sprinklers and fans in their cages, carnivore team leader Maxine Jenkins said.

'Primates get seeds and grains through their iceblocks, and we do blood iceblocks for some carnivores.

Sun bear Sasa tucks into a frozen banana at Wellington Zoo on Thursday afternoon.

'Our lions and tigers love those.'

**READ MORE:

Wellington Zoo's red pandas - which live in cool Himalayan climates - have sprinklers and fans in their cages.

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Because they hail from the Himalayas, red pandas must be closely monitored in temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius.

This month has been 2.72C warmer than average so far and, with more warm air on the way from Australia, we're unlikely to get much reprieve before February 1, according to National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research climate scientist Chris Brandolino.

Wellington Zoo has also been putting out ice for overheated kea.

For the city's human residents, Wellington City Council has issued a list of cheeky, somewhat unconventional, tips on keeping cool.

One was to put pillow cases in the freezer half an hour before going to bed.

Otters basking in the sun at the zoo. They have had blocks of ice added to their pool.

'If there's enough room, shove the whole pillow in. Seriously. When your head is cool, it tricks the rest of the body into feeling cool too.'

Another – which the council admitted might be a stretch – was that Wellingtonians should 'banish your black wardrobe'.

Frozen bananas and iceblocks for the sun bears.

'This applies to Hutt Valley bogans and Beastwars fans too,' said the statement, which spokesman Richard MacLean said had been pulled together by several staff.

Jumping into Cook Strait at some of the city's southernmost bays, or taking a midday dip in the harbour, were also on the list.

Cooling down in this heat can be tough - so Wellington City Council has recommended freezing pillow cases or pillows before heading to bed.

'The normally chilly strait is warmer than normal, and it's beckoning.

'There can't be too many capital cities that can boast a harbour you can swim in without contracting some disgusting lurgy.'

Remember pets sometimes need to cool down too.

Coffee over ice, shouting co-workers icecream sandwiches, 'freeing the feet', and retreating to the shade of the trees were also recommended.

'Jandals have never been more du jour.

'Bureaucrats – this doesn't give you licence to break out the walkshorts, socks and sandals, though. There is a limit.'

Brandolino gave some more strait-laced advice on keeping cool, and making sure pets and children were safe.

'Don't leave pets and children in the car for any length of time.'

Dogs lost heat out of their mouths, through panting, so they were susceptible to humidity.

'Any warm-blooded creature is going to feel the humidity,' Brandolino said.

The New Zealand Vet Association's chief medical officer Helen Beattie said dog-owners should be careful of their pet's paws on hot pavement.

'If your dog doesn't enjoy swimming, don't take them to the beach, because then they're literally just baking on the sand.'

Livestock should also have access to adequate shelter, including shade.

Bacteria could spread more easily in summer, particularly as more people took pets out into public places, and Beattie reminded people to check their pets' vaccinations were up to date.

Karori GP Jeff Lowe said he had seen a few patients who had been 'a bit dehydrated'.

Elderly people and children were particularly vulnerable in extreme temperatures.

'When you are older, and if you are on medication, your ability to adapt to extreme conditions is reduced because your physiological reserves are not as good.'

Brandolino also warned against cooling down with after-work beers.

'Keep hydrated, avoid caffeine and alcohol,' he said.

'At night, maybe take a bath or shower to bring your core temperature down.'

HOTTEST JANUARY YET

A mean temperature of 19.85C has been recorded across Niwa's seven stations in Auckland, Masterton, Wellington, Hokitika, Nelson, Lincoln and Dunedin to January 23.

That's 2.72C higher than average – and a fraction higher than the mean temperature in our next hottest month, February 1998.

December 1934 was the greatest departure from average, when temperatures were 2.67C hotter than normal.

'No matter how you splice it, it looks like it's going to be the warmest month on record,' Brandolino said.

Next week it would get even warmer across most parts of the country. 'We'll get a bit of a reprieve tomorrow, and then the height of it is coming Monday and Tuesday.'

Parts of the South Island are expected to hit the mid-upper 30C range.