Melbourne Zoo Keepers provide a variety of treats to the wildlife in their care every day of the year as part of the extensive enrichment program that keeps the animals physically and mentally active and alert.
The enrichment can include a wide range of items, including fruits, nuts, popcorn, herbs, and even scented oils.
But when it comes to Christmas time, those treats are enhanced with festive trimmings that provide an extra excitement to the enrichment events.
Some of the animals seem to be just as interested in the wrappings as in the wrapped treats.
Centenarian Wilbur the Giant Tortoise loved being hand-fed by Keeper Raelene Hobbs, who used colourful Christmas paper to wrap a bouquet of hibiscus branches, with the red flowers creating a colourful Christmas look. Wilbur ate up both the flowers and the leaves!
Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo Timika was interested in his Christmas tree-shaped watermelon, but even more so in the grapes embedded in it as ornaments and the papaya star on top!
This was the first Christmas for Spider Monkey Estela, who won't turn one until January. She played with the shiny ribbon but needed some Keeper assistance with opening the parcels to enjoy the grapes and other treats inside.
Baby Sumatran Orang-utan Dewi only turned one on December 6th, so she wouldn't have been aware of Christmas festivities last year. The stuffed Santa sacks kept her, her big brother Menyaru, and their parents Maimunah and Santan very busy all morning.
Both elephant calves were delighted by their watermelon pool party, with year-old Ongard trying hard but unsuccessfully to eat a small watermelon in one bite like his mother was doing. Mali took the opportunity of kicking a watermelon around like a football.
Sumatran Tiger brothers Aceh and Hutan equally enjoyed their wrapped boxes of meat and the empty wrapped wrapped boxes sprayed with the exciting scent of catnip.
