The post-holiday season is always a depressing one. It’s always sad to be driving by, and see a once adorned and beloved Christmas tree sitting in the dumpster.
However, the Oakland Zoo wants to make sure that used Christmas trees have some use even after Christmas. The zoo has asked people to donate their used Christmas trees throughout the month of January. Hundreds of trees are donated each year. These trees are placed in some of the animal’s exhibits. According to zookeepers, animals have a lot of fun exploring, sniffing, and yes, even snacking on them.
The trees become a seasonal feast for giraffes, zebras, camels, and goats. Baboons and otters have a great time looking for special treats that the zookeepers have hidden in the branches. Squirrels and monkeys enjoy swinging from pine boughs or just hanging out in the needles’ cover. And human visitors, even in the midst of the post-holiday depression, love coming to the zoo to see all this happening.