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OFFBEAT

Berlin zoo elephants snack on Christmas trees

There was a special delivery to the Tierpark zoo in the former East of the capital this week – left-over Christmas trees for the elephant herd to chow down on.

Published: 7 January 2016 15:52 CET
Berlin zoo elephants snack on Christmas trees
Photo: DPA

If you were an African or Asian elephant standing around in -7C temperatures just outside the Berlin city limits, you'd probably feel in need of something to keep you busy and maybe even cheer you up a little.

That's why keepers at the zoo decided to bring in the festive foliage and brighten up a few of the chilly January days for their wards.

An elephant at Berlin's Tierpark zoo enjoys eating a leftover Christmas tree. Photo: DPA

“The nutritional value of fir trees is very limited, they mostly just keep them busy. The elephants like to chew on them,” a spokeswoman told the Berliner Morgenpost.

Elephants usually eat hay or grass and sometimes get fruit or vegetables in amongst the feed.

An elephant plays with a twig from a Christmas tree in Berlin's Tierpark zoo. Photo: DPA

But both of Berlin's zoos have been offering them unsold Christmas trees from the capital's suppliers – not the forlorn, sometimes partially-decorated ones to be seen by the side of the road in the early days of January.

Other animals, including kangaroos and zebras, also enjoy eating and playing with the trees.

DON'T MISS: First pictures of Berlin zoo's new baby elephant

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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