Alexander Davydov said staff have switched to a different feeding schedule to get the animals to eat. They now receive a more vegetable-oriented diet, and evening feeding is delayed until the temperature drops.
Areas all over European Russia have seen scorching weather conditions throughout this week. Daytime temperatures in Nizhny Novgorod have hit 32 degrees C (89.6 degrees F), dropping to 25 degrees C (77 degrees F) at night.
On Wednesday Moscow saw its heat record for August 15 broken, with the mercury rising to 30.5 degrees C (86.9 degrees F).
The official said that in spite of the heat, animals in the city zoo were on the whole feeling well. "The animals, including bears, North American raccoons, cranes, storks and Japanese macaques, have small water reservoirs in their cages," he said.
Animals in Russian zoos have been hard-hit by the country's extreme weather fluctuations in recent years. In early 2006 when temperatures plummeted to almost record lows, many zoo animals were given alcoholic drinks to keep them warm.
