Per combattere il caldo nelle torride giornate estive, agli orsi viene offerto un gelato speciale delle loro dimensioni!

In Cherkasy, animals in a local wildlife park are being saved from the heat with ice cream. Bears were the first to be given this summer diet. This diet helps protect the animals’ health, explained Maksym, the chief mammalogist of the mammal department. 

Sandwiches with jam and ice cream are the kind of breakfast that the staff at the Cherkasy Wildlife Park prepare for the bears. 

“We hide the food around the enclosure. The animal walks around, searching and finding it in the hidden spots. This stimulates their foraging activity. It’s interesting for them too.” says Maksym. 

The ice cream recipe is following – apples, strawberries, cherries, and berries—all coated with fruit syrup. 

According to workers of the wildlife park, the animals love it. 

Maksym explained, that animals, just like humans, can also suffer from heat stroke. Therefore, such a diet helps preserve their health:

“Now they receive more fruits and vegetables. We give them about 600 grams of meat per day. When autumn comes, they’ll have their ‘autumn fattening.’ Then they will need more meat and protein-rich food.” 

[https://suspilne.media/cherkasy/776037-morozivo-dla-tvarin-ak-u-cerkaskomu-zooparku-ratuut-tvarin-vid-speki/](https://suspilne.media/cherkasy/776037-morozivo-dla-tvarin-ak-u-cerkaskomu-zooparku-ratuut-tvarin-vid-speki/)

Ice cream does them opposite, its not saving them from the heat. Instead when cold goes inside the body it needs to start warming it and it take energy. Plus all what sugar does to animal, makes them also more thirsty. Not a good idea. Actually very bad idea.

Eating cold ice cream might provide a temporary feeling of coolness for a bear, similar to how it works for humans. However, the overall effect on the bear’s body temperature and ability to cope with heat is likely minimal. Here’s why:

1. **Temporary Cooling**: The cold temperature of the ice cream can temporarily cool the bear’s mouth and throat, giving a brief sensation of relief from the heat.

2. **Metabolic Heat**: Digesting food generates metabolic heat. The energy expended in digesting the ice cream could counteract the cooling effect, resulting in no significant net cooling.

3. **Behavioral Adaptations**: Bears typically cope with heat through behavioral adaptations such as seeking shade, resting during the hottest parts of the day, and bathing in water. These methods are more effective for regulating body temperature.

4. **Physical Characteristics**: Bears have thick fur and large bodies, which makes dissipating heat challenging. Cooling strategies need to address these factors more directly, such as through water immersion or resting in cooler areas.

In summary, while ice cream might provide a brief, superficial sensation of coolness, it is not an effective way for a bear to manage heat stress. Natural behaviors and environmental strategies are much more important for heat regulation in bears.