Elephants at Berlin’s Tierpark Zoo were treated to a festive feast of leftover Christmas trees as part of an annual tradition, where these seasonal snacks offer both nourishment and entertainment for the animals.
Captured on camera, the elephants eagerly munched on branches and needles, adding variety to their diet and helping with dental cleaning.
The elephants use the trees to scratch themselves, making the delivery an enjoyable experience.
According to zookeeper Mario Hammerschmidt, the trees provided are pesticide-free, ensuring they’re safe for the elephants to consume. “(The trees are) a good supplement to the elephants’ food during winter time,” he shared.
Joining in on the treat this year was the zoo’s newest addition—a baby elephant born on New Year’s Eve. Weighing 100 kg, this calf is the sixth offspring of mother Kiwa and is yet to be named.
Although snow covered the ground and temperatures hovered below freezing, the elephants relished the vitamin-rich resin in the trees until the cold weather brought the event to a close.
Feeding Christmas trees to animals has become a beloved tradition in Berlin’s zoos, giving unsold trees a second purpose during winter.
The elephants benefit from the trees’ nutritious resin, while their mouths are well-suited to handle the prickly needles.
