COOLING off in the pool is not just for humans. The Sumatran
tigers at Australia Zoo have been battling the heat with regular
swims this summer. Tiger handler Giles Clark said they enjoyed
swimming and lounging about in the shallow parts of the pool
during the heat of the day. "In the wild, they would find a
river, stream or lake," he said. Swimming makes up only a small
part of a tiger's day. The majority of it is taken up by rest.
"So by the time they've taken care of the grooming, eating and
interacting with handlers, there's not a lot of time to do much
else." The tiger's swimming pool is the only one to have an
underwater viewing area in the southern hemisphere. Tigers are
not the only ones keeping cool with a swim in the pool.
Elephants, cassowaries and dingoes also enjoy regular dips. On
the other hand, Tasmanian devils and red pandas enjoy the
comfort of air conditioned enclosures. They will all be in need
of some cooling down over the coming days. The Bureau of
Meteorology forecast that the Coast is