Ring-Tailed Lemurs gather to warm up at Shanghai Wildlife Park. This winter animals will have "outdoor sports" to make them more able to deal with the bitter cold.

Shanghai Wildlife Park has taken new measures to ensure animals survive the freezing winter weather in comfort.

Previously, the park moved most animals indoors in winter to prevent them from being uncomfortably cold. But this year, animals have been encouraged to have "sports events" outdoors, to encourage them to withstand the chill, officials said yesterday.

Tigers, bears, African lions and leopards will leave their indoor quarters to warm themselves up by vigorous, energetic running and jumping.

Carers will provide them with living prey if necessary to encourage them to move more, thus strengthening their constitutions.

Pandas will no longer stay in air-conditioned rooms all day, feasting on bamboo and sugarcane, but will be encouraged to play with each other on the ground.

Carers have also adjusted the animals' diets to help them fight the cold.

For vegetarians, clover and dry leaves have been added to their plates; for carnivores, fresh beef and mutton have been deemed suitable for their winter fare; and, primates will receive milk, eggs, red dates and peanuts.

Carers have also added vitamins and different kinds of micro elements to the feed to ensure sufficient nutrition for the cold weeks ahead.

Traditional measures of keeping warm, such as turning on heaters, are also used, park officials said.

The Australian greyhound now wears a thick "coat" to fight the cold. A cushion made of grass has been provided for its nightly comfort.

Chimpanzees and mandrills are enjoying a fuel stove which controls the room temperature automatically - 20 degrees Celsius during the day and 22 to 24 degrees at night.

(Shanghai Daily by Lu Feiran January 3, 2008)