Havea hairy Christmas
Zoo goes crackers on day off
ANIMALS are going wild for Christmas at London Zoo, with keepers planning a day of treats and festive surprises.
The zoo is closed to the public on Christmas Day, so for staff it is a chance to spend quality time alone with the animals they care for.
Keeper Colette Gibbings, from Enfield, North London, has worked at the zoo for the past four years and will be there on Tuesday.
She said: “It is the only day of the year that the zoo closes so it’s a treat to have the place to ourselves as we get to spend even more one- on- one time with the animals we look after.
“We make it a festive day for all by placing their breakfast or lunch in a brightly wrapped box or a tube wrapped to look like a cracker.
“It’s great for them to use their natural skills to open their presents, like kids do on Christmas morning.”
The zoo’s endangered western
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Petplanuk. lowland gorillas will receive oranges, the squirrel monkeys get stockings filled with pumpkin seeds, and the lions will go on a Christmas tree scent trail, as they adore the smell.
Colette, who will enjoy a festive eggnog with her fellow keepers at the end of her shift, added: “We are open on Boxing Day – the perfect way to walk off your Christmas lunch with the family, knowing you’re supporting an international conservation charity.”
Colette is responsible for aquatics and cares for everything from corals, fish and lobster to axolotl salamanders, starfish and aquatic insects.
Some zookeepers actually live on site and they will sit down to a t raditional Christmas dinner at the end of their special day.
To visit, book at zsl.org at least a day before your trip to get 10 per cent off. You can explore the zoo after dark as it transforms into a winter wonderland, with fairy lights, illuminated trees and festive magic until January 1. I’VE just adopted a new cat. After initial injections, how often do I need to get him examined by my vet? Should I book regular check-ups?
If you have a story about wildlife email us at pets@people.co.uk