Budapest Zoo brings the Christmas spirit to its animal residents скачать в хорошем качестве

Budapest Zoo brings the Christmas spirit to its animal residents

(23 Dec 2025) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4626011 ASSOCIATED PRESS Budapest, Hungary - 23 December 2025 1. Wide of elephant destroying tree and a box of peanuts 2. Wide of elephant playing with Christmas tree 3. Mid of visitors watching 4. Wide of keeper giving food to red pandas 5. Mid of red pandas eating 6. Wide of visitors 7. Mid of red pandas eating 8. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Zoltán Hanga, Budapest Zoo spokesman: ++STARTS ON SHOT 1 AND PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS 9-14++ "Every year in the Budapest Zoo we celebrate Christmas in several ways. And also, visitors can see how the caretakers treat the animals with different Christmas gifts. These are usually delicious bites, but also an environment enrichment opportunity for the animals. Of course, animals don't really understand what Christmas is and what it's about. But it's a good opportunity for humans and animals to meet. From the animals' point of view, this is a one-on-one play option, an extra delicious bite, and a chance to interact with their caretakers as well. It is very important in zoos to give programs to animals which can occupy them. And zoo workers also like to get into the Christmas mood at this time. Caretakers dive into the shark pool in Santa hats and they even decorate the viewing area for Christmas. The Budapest Zoo is open every day of the year, so visitors come to visit us during the Christmas holidays and even on New Year's Eve. Many foreigners spend New Year's Eve in Budapest, and on January 1, when there are fewer programs in the city, they can still come to the zoo.” 9. Wide of diver wearing Santa hat in shark enclosure 10. Various of diver feeding sharks 11. Wide of meerkats playing with small Christmas tree 12. Mid of meerkats eating 13. Mid of wolverine 14. Wide of wolverine taking meat from Christmas tree STORYLINE: Budapest Zoo was spreading a little bit of festive cheer to its residents on Tuesday, gifting animals tasty Christmas treats for them to enjoy in their enclosures. Instead of traditional holiday foods such as gingerbread and eggnog, the creatures were able to feast on some of their favorite snacks which ranged from carrots and apples for elephants, beef for wolverines, fruits and nuts for red pandas, worms for meerkats, and fish for sharks, in what the zoo hopes were little pieces of Christmas cheer. In some cases Christmas trees were placed in enclosures and decorated using the treats as ornaments. "These are usually delicious bites, but also an environment enrichment opportunity for the animals,” the zoo's spokesman Zoltán Hanga explained. "Of course, animals don't really understand what Christmas is and what it's about. But it's a good opportunity for humans and animals to meet,” Hanga said. "From the animals' point of view, this is a one-on-one play option, an extra delicious bite, and a chance to interact with their caretakers as well." The Budapest Zoo opened its gates in 1866 and it is the most popular cultural institution in Hungary, with more than one million visitors a year. The zoo, which is home to more than 1000 animal species, is open every day of the year. AP video by Bela Szandelszky =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...