Baby yaks Ron and Lily were among the new arrivals at Whipsnade Zoo presented with spook-tacular surprises today, as an early Halloween treat.
Zookeepers carved petrifying pumpkins for the animals at the UK’s largest zoo, using the spooky squashes to put their foraging and hunting skills to the test.
Ron and Lily, as well as the rest of their fantastical family – all named after Harry Potter characters – wasted no time stretching their long tongues inside the pumpkins to forage for their breakfast treat of tasty hay.
Meanwhile, over at Whipsnade Zoo’s newest habitat Monkey Forest, a troop of endangered Francois langurs, including their bright orange pumpkin-esque babies, and critically endangered Sulawesi crested macaques did some trick-or-treating of their own.
Discovering their expansive homes had been decorated with pumpkins, the primates had to use their sense of smell to work out which pumpkins were filled with food (the treats), and which had been left empty (the tricks).
The Zoo’s babirusa brothers, Jaya and Riko, got stuck into demolishing the ghoulish gourds, using their teeth and tusks to rip open each pumpkin, and taking particular delight in crunching the top and stalk.
Whipsnade Zoo’s Animal Manager, Hayley Jakeman, said: “October is always a magical month at our conservation zoo, made more so by the keepers coming up with inventive ways to make sure our animals aren’t missing out on any Halloween fun.
“A lot of our animals get fed root vegetables such as butternut squash and carrots, but pumpkins are a once-a-year novelty for them.
“Creating stimulating activities, such as using in-season pumpkins to encourage natural behaviour like foraging and playing, sees our animals put their skills to use.”
With over 600 acres to explore, Whipsnade Zoo is the perfect autumnal destination for a day out this October half-term. With a packed schedule of terrifying animal talks, ghastly ghost tours, a ghoulish grave-yard trail, and a range of creepy crafts, there’s plenty for you to sink your teeth into!
For parents wanting a way to entertain their little monsters this half term, families can treat themselves to a trip to Whipsnade Zoo and discover more than 10,000 animals, including yellow-eyed vampire crabs and ‘demons of the forest’ anoa. Every ticket supports ZSL’s vital science and conservation work around the globe. To book, visit: www.whipsnadezoo.org
