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Pet owners in China are finding innovative ways to keep their beloved fur babies cool this summer.
A viral social media video shows cats and dogs lounging on giant winter melons to stay cool.
Many believe the winter melons' high thermal mass helps absorb body heat, acting as a natural cooling pack.
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In one viral video, a fluffy white cat is sprawled on top of a large green wax gourd, lazing contentedly.
Even babies seem to have taken to the trend, as other videos show toddlers clutching the large vegetable as they sleep peacefully.
Why winter melons?
Winter melons, also known as the wax gourd or Chinese melon, are large, mild vegetables that are related to the cucumber and squash family.
Winter melons are approximately 95% water, ranking highest in water concentration amongst all melons. The water's high specific heat capacity and slow heat conduction keep the vegetable cool for an extended period.
With that in mind, the melons have become "natural cooling pillows" for pets and babies alike.
The melon trend has even reached the Shanghai Zoo, where Hong Tang (Brown Sugar), the female Bengal tiger, received her own cooling melon. A viral social media video posted on July 16 showed Hong Tang pawing at a massive winter melon in her enclosure.
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China faces heat-triggered health alerts
The nation of 1.4 billion people is under nationwide heat health alerts due to a rare, warm, humid flood season that is spreading hot temperatures across the country.
The alert was issued last week as temperatures were forecasted to surpass 104 Farenheight.
Since the start of the annual flood season, China has experienced a markedly warm and humid weather pattern, reports China Daily.
The national average temperature reached 63 Farenheight (17.5 C), 0.9 C above normal and the third-highest for the period since 1961, while average precipitation stood at 264.2 millimeters, 6.1% above normal according to experts from China's National Climate Center.
Parts of Hubei province, Chongqing, and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region were issued the highest level of heat health risk on July 15 by the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration and the China Meteorological Administration.
