Animals enjoy Christmas Trees at the Zoo

16th Jan 2025

Our Christmas tree recycling initiative has been in full force this January, bringing festive joy to our animals' habitats! This eco-friendly program, in partnership with North Somerset Council and St. Peter's hospice continues to grow each year, and 2025 has been our biggest yet. 

St. Peter’s Hospice has been delivering Christmas trees to the zoo, while North Somerset Council and Glendale have been expertly chipping them into animal bedding. Together, we’re turning Christmas waste into sustainable enrichment for our animals!

Recycled Christmas trees play an important role in enriching the lives of animals at the zoo. The trees are chipped and used in the Andean Adventure habitat, where our spectacled bears Madidi, Rasu, Tuichi, and Beni enjoy the fresh scents and textures, much like the pleasure we get from Christmas trees in our homes. Elsewhere in the zoo, rhinos and meerkats make the most of tree mulch, with their keepers burying food beneath the chippings to encourage natural foraging behaviours.

Even the largest animals get involved. Our African bull elephants relish the branches as a seasonal treat and enjoy searching through chippings for hidden snacks. The branches from Christmas trees add variety to their diet of willow and other tree foliage, offering both nutritional benefits and enrichment.

This initiative is one of our favourite ways to start the year, benefiting both our animals and the environment. Together with North Somerset Council and our amazing supporters we're very happy with all of the Christmas trees we've received. We're estimating we've had 3.5 thousand trees this year!

Have you spotted your donated Christmas tree at the zoo? Whether it's an Elephants snack, or a rhinos bedding, it's been put to good use somewhere at the zoo! 

People can drop off their trees until the Sunday 26th January, 2025, between 10:30 am and 4:00 pm. The scheme is open to individual households wishing to sustainably recycle their trees.

This year, we're offering Kids Go Free this January. *1 free child per full paying adult or concession ticket. January is a difficult time for many, with both emotional and financial pressures weighing on families. We’re delighted to bring back the Kids Go Free offer as a way to lift spirits and provide an enriching day out that won’t stretch the budget. We’re hoping to give families a reason to smile and enjoy the wonders of nature together.

So you can come and spot your Christmas tree, while a kid goes free! Kids Go free is running until the 2nd of February. 

Book now!

Maze Drone 1

Sign Up to the newsletter