Zoo Animals Around the World Celebrate Halloween

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: October 31, 2021 1:35 am

Estrella the Galapagos giant tortoise eats a pumpkin at the Australian Reptile Park

Photo Credit: Australian Reptile Park

Animals across the world have celebrated halloween this week with special enrichment created by their keepers. From reptiles to big cats and bilbies there was fun for all. Animals across Europe and Australia got in on the fun.

Above you can see the newest resident of the Australian Reptile Park, Estrella the Galapagos giant tortoise enjoying her first halloween in Australia after arriving from Germany. To celebrate keepers prepared her a carved pumpkin with hibiscus flowers.

The tortoises at the Australian Reptile Park enjoy the different smells, taste and look of the festive treat.

Head of Reptiles, Daniel Rumsey, said, “We always get into the Halloween spirit at the Australian Reptile Park, and we thought it was only fitting to feature Estrella as she celebrates her first Halloween in Australia!”

Rumsey continues, “Most Galapagos tortoises enjoy hibiscus but Estrella absolutely LOVES them! We decided to use hibiscus to decorate her special Halloween pumpkin and it went down a treat!”

A Sumatran tiger explores a pumpkin at ZSL London Zoo

Photo Credit: ZSL London Zoo

In London the Sumatran tigers at ZSL London Zoo were able to pounce on a mound of creepy pumpkins. Keepers carved the pumpkins and then laid a trail of spices such as cardamom and ginger to allow their noses to follow them to the treats.

ZSL London Zoo tiger keeper Kate Clark said: “While it would definitely be more of a trick than a treat for us humans, tigers Asim and Gaysha loved sniffing out their spicy trail before playfully pouncing on these spooky squashes.”

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A giraffe explores a pumpkin in the iconic harborside habitat at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Photo Credit: Taronga Zoo Sydney

At Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia the animals were treated to pumpkins some of which carried frightening messages.

It was lunch with a view for Taronga Zoo’s tallest resident Jimiyu as he tucked in to a jack-o-lantern filled with carrots and silver beet in their famous enclosure overlooking Sydney harbour.

It wasn’t quite as fun for the greater bilby pair with their pumpkin carrying one of their greatest threats.

“The Greater Bilby was once widespread throughout arid and semi-arid Australia, including NSW. However, due to threats like habitat loss and introduction of predators such as feral cats and foxes, the Greater Bilby has been locally extinct in NSW for more than a century,” said Keeper Grey Fisher.

“While most of us talk about our favourite scary movie, or what we are dressing up as this Halloween, what we actually should be addressing is that fact that we are facing the sixth mass extinction – and that more than 1,700 species and ecological communities are known to be threatened or at risk of extinction. Now that is really scary,” says Fisher.