Animals get Christmas treats at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Taronga Zoo Sydney celebrated Christmas a little early this year by giving enrichment treats to some of the zoo's animals including the African Lions and Australian sea lions. Lion brothers Lwazi and Ato received some aromatic pine Christmas trees.

"They've never seen them before, certainly not here at Taronga, and they were really excited. There were some new scents, something new for them to play with," said Taronga Zoo Sydney Exotic Fauna Manager Mandy Everett on Monday.

The giraffes and herd of capybaras munched their way through an array of wreaths made from olive boughs, apples and elephant grass. "It was great because the giraffes had to work really hard to rip those leaves away from the wreath," Everett said. Young Australian sea lion pup Amalie and mum Nala were treated to some crushed ice with a Christmas message attached.

Squirrel monkeys enjoyed some hanging Christmas decorations made from sweet potato and capsicum. The Greater bilbies used their excellent sense of smell to investigate some native flowers. Enrichment gives the animals an opportunity to display natural behaviors they would use in the wild.