Prague zoo keeps polar bears cool with ice cubes as heatwave hitsThe zoo began providing ice to some of the animals two years ago in response to climate change. Polar bears cool down on a pile of ice that was brought to theirs enclosure on a hot and sunny day at the Zoo in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, July 30, 2026. Polar bears Aleut and Gregor wasted no time and were rolling in the beds of ice cubes after entering their outside enclosure. “The bears cool off with it and at the same time it’s an enrichment of their life in the zoo,” said zoo spokesperson Filip Mašek. But the first heat wave struck early and the Czech Republic experienced its hottest day ever with 41.9 C (107.4 F) on June 28.