Animals at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago have been getting rid of the post-holiday blues by helping staff recycle discarded Christmas trees.
Brookfield Zoo’s Grounds staff is chipping more than 800 trees, which were decorated by community organisations, families, and corporations for their Holiday Magic season. The mulch will be used for landscaping around the 235-acre park.
However, as in past years, several dozen trees are being repurposed and given to the animals for enrichment. Hudson, a 16-year-old polar bear, received a tree adorned with some of his favourite vegetables and lard. The zoo’s African lions—Brutus and Titus—seemed to enjoy the raw meat hidden in their trees as well as the trees themselves, which were hung from bungee cords.
Animal care specialists placed bones and pig ears and snouts on the trees given to the African painted dogs. And, the zoo’s bison and reindeer used the trees to rub their horns and antlers on and even toss around.
Animal care specialists are always thinking of ways to physically and mentally stimulate the animals by providing them with enrichment items they normally do not receive on a regular basis which this January includes the discarded the seasonal trees.
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