Christmas comes early at Rockhampton Zoo

Published on 18 December 2024

From boxes brimming with festive fruit to bonbons chock-a-block with bugs – Christmas has come early for the animals at Rockhampton Zoo.

The animals enjoyed the range of treats during a special enrichment activity.

Parks, Sport and Public Spaces Councillor Cherie Rutherford said that while enrichment activities are a regular part of zoo life, the latest activities took on a Christmas theme.

“Enrichment is essential for the well-being of our animals as it encourages them to use the natural instincts they would typically rely on in the wild,” Cr Rutherford said.

“The activities are designed to challenge the animals with tasks like foraging, scent tracking, or figuring out how to access food sources, with rewards waiting at the end for their efforts.

“Our zookeepers do an amazing job tailoring enrichments to the specific needs of each animal, and they really went the extra mile adding some Christmas fun into each activity.

“The animals were given handmade bonbons, Christmas boxes and even paper mâché Santas with their own unique challenge to tackle before getting to enjoy their favourite fruits, seeds, nuts, or insects hidden inside.

“It was exciting to see the animals’ problem-solving skills in action and was something really special for the Zoo visitors at the time.”

Rockhampton Zoo Director Liz Bellward said each of the animals did incredibly well finding the food sources.

“Our gibbon, Nakai, was given a paper mâché Santa with a hole at the top only and it was then up to him to either reach in with his long arms or strategically tip out the food inside,” Ms Bellward said.

“Our chimpanzee troop are always curious of anything new in their enclosure so were naturally quick to investigate the large Christmas boxes and find a way to get them opened.

“The young chimps love to rip and tear up the cardboard, and the adults will sometimes even use the wrapping paper later as part of their nest building.

“Our meerkats were treated to bonbons and boxes with small holes and had to use their long nails to reach into holes and crevices to pull out hiding insects.

“Our birds naturally use their beaks to break into seed pods and took this approach to chew through the cardboard rolls inside the wrapping paper.”

Rockhampton Zoo is open throughout the festive season, with the exception of Christmas Day.

For more information, head to: www.rockhamptonzoo.com.au