The Christmas holidays are over, but the elephants in the Wildlands zoo in Emmen are still treated to a special dinner. Christmas trees are on the menu.
“We want to offer as many different things as possible here every day,” says Jordy Huberts, zookeeper at Wildlands. “To challenge the elephants physically and mentally.”
Fourteen Christmas trees have been dug into the outdoor enclosure of the herd of Asian elephants in the zoo. When the three females of the herd spot the trees, they immediately walk towards them.
Huberts: “They walk through it and rub against it. It’s a kind of massage for them.”
Some of the Christmas trees were used as decorations in the park and the rest were donated by local hardware stores. “It’s a shame to throw it away. Because elephants also eat the trees. Ultimately, only the root ball remains.
The females in the herd also had two calves last year, but they died in November due to a herpes virus. That was also mourned in the flock. “But they are also animals with natural instincts. Nature continues. They try to pick up the thread again and so do we.”