Bactrian camels at London Zoo were given a helping hand with shedding their fur on the hottest day of the year so far.

As temperatures soared to 28C (82.4F) on Monday, keepers Mick Tiley and Jessica Young groomed Genghis and Noemie in the sunshine, removing nearly 13lb (5.8kg) of fur to help keep them cool.

While Noemie luxuriated in the pampering – enjoying a tasty snack during the brush-down – Genghis seemed to have the hump.

Mr Tiley said: “Camels moult naturally once a year and Genghis and Noemie were about halfway through theirs, so, while we were cleaning their paddock, we helped finish it off for them.

“Noemie loved it, and snacked on some tasty leaves while we gave her a good brush; however, like all youngsters having a haircut, there was a certain amount of grumbling and Genghis didn’t hold back in showing me how unimpressed he was!”

ZSL London Zoo, based in the middle of Regent’s Park, was founded in 1826 as an international scientific, conservation and educational charity which promotes the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.

While the keepers and vets continued to care for the animals during the pandemic, the zoo closed to visitors for 18 weeks in 2020 and 14 weeks during England’s third lockdown, before reopening on April 12.

Like many venues, this put a huge financial strain on the zoo, which relies upon ticket sales to care for its animals and fund its global conservation efforts.