Elephant Herd Un-Decorate at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: December 2, 2021 11:12 pm

The Asian elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo enjoy the Christmas tree enrichment provided by their keepers

Photo Credit: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

The Asian elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo have gone against the grain and kicked off the festive season by pulling down their Christmas trees.

Keeper’s at the UK’s largest zoo provided the herd of endangered Asian elephants with decorated trees which they enjoyed pulling, shaking and eating some of the decorations. The elephant friendly decorations were made from fruit and wood.

The Asian elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo enjoy the Christmas tree enrichment provided by their keepers

Photo Credit: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

First to enjoy their festive surprises were the youngest herd members, pachyderm pair Beth (5) and Donna (12). They dove straight in to locate the apple and banana hidden among the branches. The rest of the herd then joined them and threw the conifers over their heads.

Team Leader Stefan Groeneveld said, “Most people invite their family-members to get involved with tree-decorating as part of the fun and tradition of the festive season, but here at Whipsnade Zoo we like to invite our elephants to un-decorate the tree. They’re much better at it! 

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“Although elephants’ skin is thick, they love the feel of prickly branches when they rub up against them. They also love to sniff out their favourite treats, hidden inside the branches and retrieve them with their dexterous trunks, and when they’re done with all that, the trees themselves are also an excellent snack! 

Learn more about Asian Elephants here – Asian Elephant Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about ZSL Whipsnade Zoo on their website – ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

The Asian elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo enjoy the Christmas tree enrichment provided by their keepers

Photo Credit: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo