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Zoo Knoxville cools off animals during the heat

They were fed Popsicles and frozen food. Yes, they were literally tossed frozen balls of biscuits and apple sauce.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Much of East Tennessee spent the day looking for ways to stay cool and that includes the animals at Zoo Knoxville.

They were fed popsicles and frozen food. Yes, they were literally tossed frozen balls of biscuits and apple sauce. 

Chimps are a lot like humans and need to cool off, the Zoo said. 

"Chimps do sweat so we want to cool their body temperatures down. A lot of our animals here at our zoo have the option to go inside or outside during the summer and inside we have air conditioning so they spend a majority of time in there," Katelyn Miller, a Great Ape Zookeeper, said.

The bears at the zoo also cooled down by playing in hoses set up by zookeepers.

Credit: WBIR
Credit: WBIR

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The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory from 12 to 8 p.m. for Tuesday. Heat indices will be upwards of 100-105 degrees locally and regionally.  

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Wartburg and Oakdale will have feels like temps around 100, with several other nearby areas experiencing slightly lower but still hot, heat index temperatures on Tuesday. Knoxville, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, Dandridge, Clinton and many other cities and towns will have temperatures that feel several degrees over the 100 mark.  

RELATED: Don't let your guard down as more storms are possible later today

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