Greek Zoo Serves up Frozen Meals to Animals to Help Them Beat the Heat

Tiembe, a 15-year-old Angolan lion, stands over his frozen breakfast, chunks of red meat and bone packed in a block of ice, at the Attica Zoological Park in Spata suburb, eastern Athens, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. (AP)
Tiembe, a 15-year-old Angolan lion, stands over his frozen breakfast, chunks of red meat and bone packed in a block of ice, at the Attica Zoological Park in Spata suburb, eastern Athens, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. (AP)
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Greek Zoo Serves up Frozen Meals to Animals to Help Them Beat the Heat

Tiembe, a 15-year-old Angolan lion, stands over his frozen breakfast, chunks of red meat and bone packed in a block of ice, at the Attica Zoological Park in Spata suburb, eastern Athens, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. (AP)
Tiembe, a 15-year-old Angolan lion, stands over his frozen breakfast, chunks of red meat and bone packed in a block of ice, at the Attica Zoological Park in Spata suburb, eastern Athens, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. (AP)

At first sight, Tiembe studies his frozen breakfast with hesitation: Chunks of red meat and bone packed in a foot-long block of ice.

The 15-year-old Angolan lion eventually licks the ice before gnawing pieces of meat free.

Animals at the Attica Zoological Park outside the Greek capital were being fed frozen meals Friday as temperatures around the country reached 40 C (107.5 F) and were set to rise further, in the fourth heat wave in less than a month.

The extreme temperatures and wildfires — a growing concern for biodiversity in southern Europe — have had an impact on Greek wildlife.

A fire on the island of Rhodes burned for 11 successive days, triggering the evacuation of 20,000 people, mostly tourists.

The island’s animals were less fortunate.

As the fire tore through mountain forests and a nature reserve, an estimated 2,500 animals and beehives were burned, along with 50,000 olive trees, according to Agriculture Ministry officials. Fallow deer, a symbol of Rhodes, were found lying dead on the roadside.

The zoo, which is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of Athens, is looking after an injured deer and several turtles — some fitted with wheels prized from toys to help with their mobility — which suffered burns and other injuries during the Rhodes fire.

Zoo curator Antonis Balas urged pet owners to be more mindful of their animals at times of extreme heat, noting that many of the popular breeds of pets are from native cooler climates in Northern and Central Europe.

“In general, heat affects animals in the same way that it affects humans,” Balas said, after feeding fruit popsicles to ring-tailed lemurs, some clambering onto his shoulders to get served first.

“The iced treats are a supplement to their meals ... they lick the ice and breathe in the cool air. That’s in contrast to people who sweat as a way of controlling their body temperature.

Ten major wildfires struck Greece in July, and included major blazes outside Athens. More than 450 pet dogs and cats were rescued from fires, many left in their homes as the owners fled, according to a charity that works with a state animal agency. About half have been reunited with their owners, the others placed in temporary adoption.

In the wake of the Greek fires, the international animal charity PETA urged animal owners not to abandon their pets.

Elisa Allen, the group’s vice president for programs, said the fires also served as a reminder that the animal farming industry is a major global contributor to climate change.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and in this case, no one should ignore how animal agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions fuel the climate catastrophe and create the conditions that let wildfires spread,” Allen told The Associated Press.

Temperatures are expected to reach 42 C (107.6 F) in parts of central Greece on Saturday before easing early next week.



Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Welcomes Fifth Ranger Corps

 The new recruits, 40 women and 26 men, all from local communities within the reserve, join the existing ranger team of 180  - SPA
The new recruits, 40 women and 26 men, all from local communities within the reserve, join the existing ranger team of 180 - SPA
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Welcomes Fifth Ranger Corps

 The new recruits, 40 women and 26 men, all from local communities within the reserve, join the existing ranger team of 180  - SPA
The new recruits, 40 women and 26 men, all from local communities within the reserve, join the existing ranger team of 180 - SPA

On World Wildlife Day, observed annually on March 3, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve officially welcomed its fifth ranger corps after their successful graduation from the reserve’s nine-week training program. The new recruits, 40 women and 26 men, all from local communities within the reserve, join the existing ranger team of 180 to further the reserve’s conservation work.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve is home to the Middle East’s first, and largest, female ranger corps. Of the 246 rangers at the reserve, 34% are women, well above the global average of 11%, SPA reported.
Reserve CEO Andrew Zaloumis said, "Our rangers at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve are pivotal to us achieving the reserve’s vision and mission. These local people, from across the reserve, know its land, its flora and fauna, and its communities. They are the natural guardians of the Kingdom’s rich natural and cultural heritage."
Over 18,000 applications were received. Candidates underwent written and physical tests and multiple interviews to win a coveted place on the reserve’s ranger training program. Run by Ali Albalawi, the reserve’s capacity building and sustainable natural resource use supervisor, the nine-week program provides the essential skills required to join the ranger corps. Modules include conservation management, data collection, patrolling, cultural heritage management, tracking, fitness, self-defense, first aid and 4x4 driving.
Albalawi commented: "I take great pride in training rangers from the local community in Prince Mohammad bin Salman Reserve. When the protector comes from the same place, there is a profound sense of responsibility towards the nature they know and cherish, making them more capable of protecting and conserving it. These rangers are not just trained to perform specific tasks — they are true ambassadors of nature, and I am honored to be part of fostering this spirit that connects people to their land and their role in conserving it for future generations."
The 66 new rangers will join the 180-strong ranger force, working alongside Special Forces for Environmental Security and the Border Guard to safeguard the natural and cultural assets of the Reserve, both on land and at sea. Their duties include ecological monitoring to inform conservation strategies, supporting animal reintroductions, managing wildlife populations, and overseeing development projects to ensure compliance with environmental and social impact assessments.
The reserve invests in its people long-term, with ongoing training and career development opportunities. Rangers can rise throug