14 DAY TRIAL // This past Saturday, elephants living in captivity at the Berlin Zoological Garden in Germany got one very special treat: lots of Christmas trees that they were allowed to play with and then eat. According to Daily Mail, the trees were donated by local sellers.
Keepers at the facility explain that, should the general public also be allowed to donate their Christmas trees once they are no longer of any use to them, there is always the risk that the elephants will end up swallowing one – maybe even more – decorations hidden among the branches.
This tradition is about two decades old, and there is little denying that the animals are quite fond of it. In fact, their caretakers think that, from the elephants' standpoint, the trees that they get to play with and chew on each holiday season are as close to a feast as it gets.
By the looks of it, the elephants toss the trees around before actually getting down to eating them due to the fact that they are attracted by their smell.