Does an ice block made of blood sound festive? Zoo Miami animals get holiday treats
Mealworms may not sound so appetizing to the average person. And the thought of using blood from meat to make an ice block may leave some people squirming.
But for the animals at Zoo Miami, the holidays came early when staff delivered their favorite treats wrapped up in festive boxes.
“This has been a year of bad news,” said Ron Magill, the spokesman for the zoo. “This type of enjoyment we see from the animals lifts our spirits, as well as theirs.”
Magill said the holiday treats are just one of the ways the zoo is celebrating the holidays. It’s also hosting the annual Zoo Lights, which runs through Dec. 27 and offers visitors a chance to see over 1 million holiday lights at night.
The event this year will have limited capacity because of the pandemic. Magill said guests need to buy tickets — which begin at $19.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids — on the zoo website www.zoomiami.org in advance.
“Holidays bring some sense of normalcy,” Magill said.
This week, Magill shared photos of a sloth bear named Hank digging into a polar bear wrapped box with meal worms and his favorite bear chow.
The jaguars, named Reina and Adonia, could be seen strolling through Candy Cane Lane where there were “bloodsicles” waiting for them to devour.
The adult Asian elephants, Dalip and Nellie, nibbled on their holiday tree that had cantaloupes and apples for ornaments. A younger elephant named Ongard ate his snowman decorated with peanut butter, sugar-free gelatin and his favorite fruits and vegetables.
For the Matschie’s tree kangaroo named Banyon, the zoo delivered a box with newspaper strips and banana pieces. Banyon nearly disappeared into the box as he sampled his treats.
For the zoo’s troop of chimpanzees, Niger, Hondo, Samantha and Bubbles, staff decorated their habitat with holiday ornaments including a large Santa, a 6-foot-tall snowman and gift boxes and tubes containing many of their favorite fruits and vegetables.
Magill said the unbridled happiness of the animals rubs off on everyone.
“Holiday cheer is infectious,” he said.
