As human beings were bored by the widespread flu in the capital's frigid winter, over 450 varieties of 5,500 animals in the Beijing Zoo, China's largest, still remained healthy, thanks for timely measures against coldness.
Sources from the zoo said the snake family is the most sensitive species to coldness. Therefore, the indoor temperature is always at 25 degrees Centigrade.
In the five snake showcases, 150 different varieties of vipers including green bamboo snakes, cobras and coral snakes were comfortably leading their ease and lazy life, waited on by three heaters and five baths.
According to the sources, except some cold-resistant animals such as pole bear and yak, most animals' lodgings were equipped with heater and the heat supply was offered since October.
Considering the primate animals are very easy to susceptible to colds, staffs tried to feed them some herbal granules, a traditional Chinese medicine used to cure cold.
It is not an easy job at all, because the gorillas are too clever to be persuaded to take those bitter granules.
Ye Mingxia, a staff with the zoo, said, "I have to treat them as small babies. I mixed the herbal granules with milk or hid them in oranges to lure them to eat."
(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2001)
