Special care cold comfort for animals during snap

IT seems the recent cold snap is freezing the proverbials off more than brass monkeys — the real ones in the country’s wildlife parks and zoos have also had enough.

Used to more exotic climes, the monkeys, cheetahs and giraffes are, according to staff at Fota Wildlife Park, finding it hard to cope with the wet and slushy weather of wintry County Cork.

Peering out from their houses, the animals certainly seem to be dreaming of sunnier times in July and August, although that’s certainly not guaranteed in this country.