Thinking of throwing away your Christmas tree? Don't... Give it to Belfast Zoo instead🌲🐘
The trees are a great form of enrichment for many of the animals
Last updated 3rd Jan 2019
The holidays are over, and you're probably wondering what to do with your old Christmas tree. Before throwing it away, consider recycling it with Belfast Zoo.
The trees are eaten by animals like camels and goats, while big cats and primates play with them.
Zoo curator, Raymond Robinson, said “The Christmas trees are a great form of enrichment for many of the animals. They are extremely tactile, have a strong scent, can be used for the animals to sleep and shelter under and are also a good snack for some of the larger animals! The festive firs have already started to be used around the Cave Hill site and will be given to a variety of animals including the big cats, elephants, apes, primates and birds. When the animals have finished with the trees, they will be chipped down into bark to ‘spruce’ up the animal enclosures. It’s been great to see the public get behind the project and it’s fantastic that our visitors are able to say that their tree went straight from their living room to the elephant enclosure!”
If you'd like to donate there's a drop-off point near the car park.
For more information, call Belfast Zoo on 028 9077 6277 or visit the official website
Zookeepers say they'll post pictures and videos to Facebook, so you can watch the animals enjoying your generosity.
Belfast Zoo can also use a range of items to create enrichment. You can donate:
o clothes
o bed sheets, duvet covers, pillow cases
o logs
o cardboard carpet tubes
o cardboard tubes
o unused pet toys
o tools
o fire hose
o hanging baskets
o unbreakable mirrors
o clear plastic tubes
o pine cones
o sacks
o bungee cord
o brush or mop heads (natural materials only)
o netting
o barrels