Hellabrunn Zoo animals enjoy annual Christmas tree treats

A few days before Christmas, the animal residents at Hellabrunn Zoo receive a very special surprise: Christmas trees loaded with colourful treats, which has become something of a tradition at the animal park in Munich. Lovingly decorated by their keepers, the yuletide firs not only spruce up the enclosures, but also create a unique backdrop for capturing festive snaps from Hellabrunn - just in time for the holidays.

This year, beautifully decorated Christmas trees were placed as treats in the enclosures of the moose, nilgais, raccoons, rockhopper penguins, kangaroos, zebras and elephants. As in previous years, the reactions to these surprise gifts varied greatly among the animals. It was therefore exciting to observe how each species reacted to their tree, or trees, loaded with tasty delights. While some shy animals approached the unknown greenery with much caution, others wasted no time in pouncing on their tree and digging into the appetising goodies.

While the raccoons and Arctic foxes headed straight for their trees and made light work of the hidden treats, the red kangaroos required time to muster up the courage to approach their fir tree adorned with apples. The elks, on the other hand, enjoyed ‘bare’ firs, after all these trees are the main source of food in their native habitat. The rockhopper penguins were more interested in the fish placed underneath their Christmas tree than the paper stars decorating it. The zebras and kudus reacted very curiously to their trees decorated with peppers and fruit, before returning to their usual food. The nilgais and Visayan warty pigs quickly understood the value of their Christmas gift, and the female elephant Mangala surprised everyone by decorating herself with a piece of fir tree!

In addition to being yuletide gifts, the Christmas trees placed in the enclosures also serve as valuable enrichment for the animals – whether it be delicious decorations, tasty treats under the tree or the entire tree. The festive installations challenge the animals to find the cleverly hidden treats and encourage them to think and work for their food, just like they would in their native habitat. This usually keeps them busy for some time.

It was clear to see how differently the animals reacted to their Christmas presents: shy animals such as the nilgais or zebras approached their decorated trees with a degree of caution, while the raccoons or arctic foxes were much bolder and stripped their trees of treats in no time. The beautifully decorated Christmas trees also offer visitors the perfect backdropfor capturing festive snaps from Hellabrunn Zoo.

"It’s impressive to see how much creativity and commitment our keepers put into bringing joy to their charges at Hellabrunn at Christmas time," said Verena Dietl, mayor and chair of the supervisory board. "This is what makes our zoo in Munich such a special place. A visit during the holidays offers a great opportunity to experience the magic of Christmas at Hellabrunn."

Zoo director Rasem Baban added: “As the year draws to a close, I would like to thank all of our visitors, fans, donors, sponsors, volunteers and all employees. Your passion and commitment make Hellabrunn a place where visitors and animals feel equally at home. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a good start to the New Year!"

Like every year, the animal residents at Hellabrunn Zoo will be treated to more trees after Christmas. These trees come from selected dealers and are pollutant-free, unsold specimens. We are unfortunately unable to accept disused Christmas trees from private households.

Hellabrunn Zoo is open daily during the festive season including bank holidays: