(Special) Ice Cream Surprise for Monkeys

On World Ice Cream Day, celebrated on the third Sunday of July every year, the Hamadryas Baboons at Bursa Zoo enjoyed fruit ice cream to cool off. The monkeys, eager to indulge in the icy treat in 35-degree heat, seemed to compete with each other.

World Ice Cream Day was officially declared by U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Initially planned to be celebrated once on July 15, 1984, World Ice Cream Day became a tradition through the campaigns of ice cream companies and spread worldwide. The presence of ice cream, an essential part of summer’s heat, is celebrated every year on the third Sunday of July around the world.

Veterinary teams at the Bursa Zoo prepared fruit ice cream for the Hamadryas Baboons on the occasion of World Ice Cream Day. Veterinarians stated that industrially produced ice creams are risky for the monkeys due to health concerns and emphasized that they carefully prepared ice creams made from natural fruits in accordance with their nutrition programs. As temperatures reached 35 degrees, the monkeys seemed to compete with each other to enjoy the icy fruit ice cream in the hot weather. Children visiting the zoo experienced the surprise of seeing monkeys eating ice cream for the first time.

European Standard Nutrition

Erdem Saker, the Coordinator of Bursa Zoo, stated, “Bursa Zoo is a core member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and the animals here live according to their standards. Today, when you visit a zoo in Europe, the monkeys live in the same conditions as ours. In this regard, the value of our zoo is very important. Their feeding regimes are also in line with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s standards. The ice creams were also prepared by our staff in the same manner and offered to them. Our visitors are pleased with such activities. It is especially interesting for children, and we love to make them happy with these kinds of events.”