While red pandas, Bornean orangutans and black howler monkeys may be from different parts of the globe they all enjoy a treat before bed time.
Keepers at Dudley Zoo in the United Kingdom have been preparing warm vegetables and hot drinks for their charges to help them settle down at night.
In the Ungulate section, Jay Haywood and his team make special cakes for Yasmin and Yang the red pandas.
“In chilly weather we make up warm panda cakes for them which contain crushed bamboo and crushed insects. It’s comforting for them to have something warm and provides a very nutritious diet,” he explained.
The zoos black howler monkeys get their potatoes warmed up before being served.
Check out a video of the animals enjoying their treats below.
Sam Grove, an upper primates keeper said, “For the afternoon feeds at this time of year, we warm the potatoes which helps break down the starch and it’s for nice for them to go to bed after some hot food.”
They’re not the only ones who enjoy this treat she explained, “We do the same for the orangs too. They love warm onions and potatoes and lap up all sorts of warm drinks.”
“They have warm juice, warm nutritional supplement drinks and sometimes baby food which we mix with warm water,” added Grove.
Chimpanzees are another of the zoos species that are quite partial to hot food. Keepers in the lower primates section make them a stew on particularly cold nights.
Section leader, Nicola Wright said, “The only vegetable we regularly cook, to break down the starch, is potatoes but the chimps do like other veg warmed too and we occasionally make them up a winter stew.”
“They like their drinks hot too! They enjoy drinking warm water, herbal teas and hot squash.”
Photo Credits: Dudley Zoo
