A red panda lies on a wooden platform to keep cool. [Photo/IC]

As a prolonged heatwave recently gripped Hangzhou, in East China's Zhejiang province, animals at Hangzhou Zoo discovered their own ways to stay cool.

Tigers rested in the shade, zebras sought cool spots, and macaws perched quietly inside wooden shelters. Elephants sprayed themselves with water using their trunks, while Malayan bears splashed in pools to escape the heat.

An elephant cools itself by spraying water with its trunk. [Photo/IC]

Red pandas lounged on wooden platforms, meerkats stood alert despite the soaring temperatures, flamingos relaxed by the water, and giraffes lingered in shaded areas.

The varied cooling strategies delighted visitors, who stopped to watch the animals cope with the soaring temperatures.

Macaws perch inside wooden shelters. [Photo/IC]

Meerkats stand alert despite the searing heat. [Photo/IC]

Flamingos gather by the water as temperatures soar. [Photo/IC]