Red River Zoo animals use Christmas trees for playtime

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – The animals at the Red River Zoo love the holiday season not only for the cold temperatures, but also for the trees.

While the animals are able to play outside, even in the cold temperatures, they still can get bored. Zookeepers are always looking for ways to introduce new items to the animals. Christmas trees are a great enrichment tool. They have to be natural, without paint or decorations.

Trees aren’t for eating. Most of the time the animals climb them or hide in them.

“We will put it in with our wolves, our otters, our pandas, all sorts of our animals. It’s a new scent for them. It’s great for them to play with. The wolves will rub all over it and encourage natural behavior. There’s a lot of really fun stuff like that. We can use it and make sure it doesn’t go to a landfill,” Red River Zoo President/CEO Sally Jacobson said.

If you plan to drop off a tree, call 701-277-9240 and ask for more information.

The zoo is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily to see the animals.