Christmas Trees for Critters!

Each year after the winter holidays the Wildlife Resources department takes donations of Christmas trees. The trees are wonderful natural enrichment items for the animals and they also dress up our exhibits a bit.

This year we received a record number of trees, so nearly every animal at the museum has had a chance to interact with one. The birds use them for perching, the opossums and snakes climb in the branches, and the bobcats and hares like to hide deep within the greenery.

Here are a few pictures I took earlier today of the raccoons enjoying one of the trees! I hid some of their vegetables for the day far inside of the evergreen so that they had to climb and forage in order to get their snack. Click the images to enlarge.

Thank you to everyone who brought us a tree and helped provide the animals with a festive and fun enrichment activity!

Michelle Leighty
Perkins Wildlife Center Co-Manager