represents unwrapped, the cookies are crumbs, and this real christmas tree will soon become a fire hazard. Most of us pull it to the side of the road to be taken care of by local health departments, but for some lucky people, trees end up in the clutches animals live in zoos.
Since 1978, Cape May County Park and Zoo in Middle Township, New Jersey, petitioned donations of undecorated Christmas trees from the community and unsold trees from nearby businesses. The trees are then donated to the more than 550 animals that call the South Jersey Zoo home.
“Not everyone can donate money to the zoo, and that's fair enough. We're a free zoo and everyone can come here. But if you want to donate a Christmas tree, I think it makes people feel really good that they were able to help in some way,” Senior Animal Keeper and Enrichment Coordinator. Kim Simpkins tells Popular Science.
Why Christmas trees?
Fir, spruce and pine trees provide enrichment for animals and important additional shelter from the cold winter air. While The Jersey Shore is most often associated with warm summer days.The average low temperature at the zoo in January can reach 20 degrees. A donated Christmas tree can serve as a wind block to protect animal enclosures.
“We use freezer doors to block the doors leading into their huts. But it's nice to have an extra layer of protection, so we'll use Christmas trees,” Simpkins says. “We'll do it for the wallabies.”
Nearby kangaroos often make small enclosures out of stacked Christmas trees so they have another warm place to go.
Regis the red kangaroo plays with the Christmas tree.
Christmas trees are also given to animals enrichment. For any animal in human care, be it a family dog or a lion at the zoo, enrichment gives them a creative outlet for physical activity, mental stimulationand a way to choose how they spend their time.
“Enrichment is when we create an animal novel that reveals some natural behavior of the animal,” says Simpkins. “We have an enrichment plan for every animal at the zoo, outlining their natural history as well as what behaviors we think they need to exhibit here at the zoo that they might not need because they're not in the wild.”
Since zoo animals don't have to work hard to get food, the team will work on additional activities to encourage them to use their resources. natural foraging behavior. In the case of primates, keepers sometimes hide pieces of food in donated Christmas trees for them to find.
“Many people may think that enrichment is simply providing food puzzle toys, but enrichment is much more than that,” Cornell University veterinarian. Dr. Keith Andersontells Popular Science. “Enrichment is about making sure all the animals' needs are met and providing appropriate opportunities for emotional, physical and mental stimulation. Their needs should include safety, predictability, hygiene, nutrition and more.”
Simpkins adds that the zoo plans their enrichment “based on their natural history, their individual characteristics.” [animal’s] needs and our environment.”
For the zoo, Christmas trees also provide an opportunity to give these important enrichment items to the animals at no cost. Durable plastic lion balls and other enrichment items, Simpkins said. can cost between $300 and $500 and don't always last as long thanks to their sharp teeth and claws, so donated items allow owners to entertain animals on a budget.
“There are an endless number of ways to provide enrichment, limited only by time, funding and imagination,” says Dr. Anderson. “I think rather than offering something ‘unique’, it’s better to approach enrichment holistically.”
Play with your trees
The zoo is home to more than 550 animals representing 250 species. Each animal has its own way of racing to the new Christmas tree in and around its habitat.
“Leos really like to just carry around Christmas trees,” Simpkins laughs. “They like their smell.” Lions will also urinate in trees and mark their territory, just like in the wild. When they mark a tree with their urine, it is a way of making it smell like them.
Enrichment also helps their well-being by giving animals agency and choice, Dr. Anderson said. “Animal enrichment is akin to ‘self-care’ for people,” she says. “Animals that are not sufficiently enriched may be more excitable, hyperactive, vocalize more, play excessively or roughly, be aggressive, or sleep poorly. They may also exhibit unwanted behaviors such as scratching, destructive chewing, digging, or litter raiding.”
The zoo's bison also like to sniff Christmas trees, but their reaction to a new plant in their habitat can be considered game form. To biologists, play is considered something that an animal does simply for fun, rather than to find food, shelter, or anything else for survival. The zoo's bison will butt trees around their yard and also use them as windbreaks.
Monkeys and others primates will also climb trees and treat them like new furniture. However, it's mostly about food, as keepers place food in trees for them to find.
“It depends on the species, but most of us are frugivores, so we'll put fruit on the tree and they'll have to dig through the Christmas tree to find it,” Simpkins explains. “It's more like how they forage for fruit in the wild than a bowl. It's great when keepers get creative by combining different toys to make foraging more challenging, interesting or unusual.”
According to Dr. Anderson, enrichment can be as simple as providing animals with choices and a place to rest. “It’s important to remember the animal’s sensory experience (all animals hear, smell, and see the world differently than humans),” she says.
Interested Donors you can contact the zoo directly any questions are welcome read all instructions before you make a donation. The zoo cannot take all the trees, so donors are encouraged to call soon. You can also search for local mulching activitieswhere your wood will be turned into wood chips that feed trees and plants. Goats love Christmas trees tooso check with your local farms and see if they accept donations. If you live along the coast, check with your city donate your treebecause they can help strengthen protective sand dunes.
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