By Nick Enoch


An ice lolly, a dip in the pool, deckchairs... when it comes to cooling off in the hot weather, these animals don't play by the rules.

As Britain enjoys a heatwave, with the mercury hitting 27c (81f) today, these are just some of the cunning ways our furry friends cope.

And as the pictures below show, it's not just those here who are feeling the heat - from China to Germany, Indonesia to the U.S., animals are scoffing at what they've seen in nature documentaries and trying something a little bit different...


Let sleeping dogs lie: Tara the dog opts for a sunbed and parasol to see her through the blistering heat in Britain


Bird bath with a difference: Jacquille the parrot cools down in a tea cup in Costa Rica


One cool dude: Dudu the walrus beats the summer heat in China, at Qingdao Polar Ocean World; right, a squirrel gets stuck into a frozen treat in Swindon, Wiltshire


I've got this licked: An African lion in Brookfield zoo, Chicago refreshes himself with a block of ice


Sealion solution: Keepers at Qingdao Polar Ocean World have come up with innovative ways to keep their animals cool; right, Eski the snowy owl could do with a towel in the New Forest, Hampshire


Flew what a scorcher! A tufted titmouse suns itself in Massachusetts


Spread the whirred: This chilled dog has found himself a new fan; right, Chino the donkey enjoys an ice-cream at Pennywell farm in Buckfastleigh, Devon


Furry nice! A squirrel takes a dip in a swimming pool in San Antonio, Texas


Does it come in banana flavour? A baboon enjoys an ice lolly at Hangzhou wild animal centre, China; right, a meerkat at Marwell Wildlife Conservation Park, Hants


To hell with the diet... An orangutan at Ragunan zoo in Jakarta, Indonesia


Just follow my lead: Harland the poodle on Southsea beach in Hampshire; right, a fur seal relaxes in Stromness, South Georgia Island


White tiger cubs Jeevan and Ashoka cool off in a paddling pool at a safari park in Germany


Trunks, glasses and parasol...this pooch looks good - and he knows it


I'll be finished in about nine hours... A young gorilla chews on a block of ice containing fruit at Los Angeles Zoo


Do I look like I want to share? A ring-tailed lemur at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Herts


Pass the oinkment, dear: Some pigs tan themselves in Cambridgeshire


It's bacon hot! A piglet falls asleep in a doll's house deckchair at Pennywell farm in Buckfastleigh, Devon



source:dailymail