ROME (AP) — The macaques snacked on cold melons, the lemurs nibbled frozen fruit pops and the tiger had his red meat on ice.

As the temperatures climbed Wednesday to nearly 40 degrees Centigrade (104 Fahrenheit), the animals at Rome's zoo are getting some cool relief from a heat wave.

It's a ritual that the keepers at Rome's Bioparc zoo often employ when the Mediterranean heat settles on Rome in the summer months.

Zoo official Yitzhak Yadid says the icy treats keep the animals cool and occupied with something new.