Christmas treats at the zoo
Some of Orana Wildlife Park’s animals have proven you don’t have to be religious – or even human – to celebrate Christmas festivities.
The big day came early for the Christchurch park’s 400 animals as keepers played Santa on Christmas Eve and dished out a range of crackers and stockings filled with treats. For ageing sumatran tiger Sendiri, nearly 13, a box filled with a ‘‘little bit of a snack’’ of horse meat chunks was of little interest and lost out to his own personal Christmas tree, coated in some five spice and vegemite to stimulate the olfactory system. ’’We thought this would just be a fantastic opportunity to get into the Christmas spirit, put something on for the visitors and the animals here at Orana,’’ visitor services co-ordinator Rachael Mason said.
‘‘It’s an opportunity to ... give them something a little bit different – a bit of a treat.’’
Mason said the feedback had been positive, with ‘‘big smiles all round’’, but the highlight for her was the lemurs.
‘‘It was great seeing them get into their Christmas stockings … They got a lovely Christmas tree, they got a few wrapped up presents with some treats.
‘‘I believe there was some honey on there as well, which is a real favourite for them, and the Christmas stockings were stuffed with a few extra treats as well.’’
Lions were king for Kelly Bowles and Taegan Doyle, visiting from Brisbane to spend time with family, as well as ‘‘to experience Christmas with the animals’’, Bowles said.
‘‘We were told it was a must, [that] we have to come here on Christmas Eve.’’
- Fairfax NZ