As Britain basked in the hottest May day ever, animals at zoos across the country had to find their own ways to battle the heat.
At Chester Zoo, where the mercury hit a scorching 30 degrees yesterday, the Asian Elephants were hosed down by zookeepers to keep the giant animals cool.
Adorable pictures show one female elephant enjoying a drink from the hose as she was drenched in water.
Meanwhile, one of the male elephants at the zoo was spotted swimming in the enclosure’s pool.
Elsewhere, one of Chester Zoo’s most famous residents – Inka the Jaguar – was one cat that is not afraid of water as she decided to take a dip in her pool while enjoying a refreshing watermelon snack.
The black rhinos didn’t go for a swim to fight the heatwave, and instead they were given sips of water through a hose by zookeepers.
Thankfully, for the animals at the zoo, a break in high temperatures is expected to bring showers to the area with temperatures set to reach a high of 25 degrees.
Adorable pictures show one female elephant enjoying a drink from the hose as she was drenched in water
One of the zoo’s male elephants enjoying a swim
One of the zoo’s resident jaguars, Inka, enjoys a cool watermelon snack as she takes a dip in her pool
A black rhino at Chester Zoo enjoys a sip of water during yesterday’s scorching heatwave

