Too hot to visit the Singapore Zoo? Not for much longer.

Visitors may soon be able to cool off in some areas of the park, thanks to a new eco-friendly outdoor cooling system that is said to blow air as cool as 24 deg C.

The Airbitat Smart Cooler, developed by Innosparks, an ST Engineering subsidiary, was unveiled at the zoo yesterday.

Four units have been placed at the zoo's ticketing area for a six- month trial and, if successful, 80 to 100 units will be rolled out at "cool zones" within all four of Mandai Safari Park Holdings' wildlife parks.

The move is aimed at encouraging visitors not to cut short their trips to wildlife parks because of the heat and humidity.

Each unit, about the size of a refrigerator, uses 80 per cent less energy than an average air-conditioning unit, and can cool an area of about 55 sq m.

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