It’s Christmas for the elephants as unsold trees are fed to the animals at Berlin Zoo

BERLIN: For the elephants and others at the Berlin Zoo, it’s finally time to unwrap their Christmas presents.

Trees that didn’t find a home this festive season were given to some of the animals on Friday (Jan 3) in what has become an annual event. Elephants tore off branches with their trunks, lobbing them around their enclosure or eating the greenery.

The zoo takes only fresh, unsold trees from select vendors. It doesn’t accept trees from the public, which could contain chemicals or leftover decorations.

“They don’t just serve as food, they are also used to keep the animals occupied,” said Florian Sicks, the zoo’s curator for mammals.

“The animals can fight with them, they can rub themselves against them, they can throw themselves over them and do various other things with these fir trees,” he added. “And so we enrich the animals’ everyday lives, which they are very happy about.”

While the elephants eat up much of the tree, other animals take a more cautious approach.

This year, the giraffes got the belated stocking fillers for the first time – suspended upside down at the height of their heads. Max enjoyed more than a taste of the greenery, but companion Mugambi appeared unconvinced after inspecting it.