Though the minimum temperature has dropped to 30 degrees below zero Celsius in China's northernmost icy city of Harbin, zoo animals are leading a cozy life as usual, thanks to the heating systems installed in their pens.

Shasha, a chimpanzee from Africa, is devouring tomatoes -- his favorite food -- at his comfortable home heated with a liquefied gas heater, while his best friend Turna rides on a swing.

Shortly after their arrival in Harbin from their tropical hometown last autumn, the chimpanzees came down with a bad cold and recovered only after days of antibiotic transfusions, said zookeeper Huang Delin.

The management then started to consider additional warmth for these tropical species, as the central heating system at the zoo could only raise the indoor temperature to 15 degrees at most on the coldest days.

"At first we planned to install air-conditioners, but feared the naughty chimps might dismantle them out of curiosity," he explained.

Quieter species at the zoo, such as Chinese alligators, pythons and turtles, are insulated from the cold with electric heaters, said zoo worker Kong Desheng.

Harbin, one of the coldest cities in northeastern Heilongjiang province, is covered with ice and snow for nearly half of the year. In December and January, even the maximum daytime temperature can be as low as 20 degrees below zero.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2003)