Video of The Week — Christmas Comes Early For Some Lucky Animals

This year, Christmas came early for the lucky residents of the London Zoo. On Thursday, December 15, when Sumatran tiger cubs Achilles and Karis emerged from their dens, they saw what every kid (and adult) dreams about during this time of the year — piles of colorfully wrapped gifts!

Though this is their first Christmas, the cats, who were born at the zoo in June, appeared to realize that the boxes were meant for them and began to rip off the wrapping as fast as they could. Though the boxes were empty, Achilles and Karis did not seem to care. They were just thrilled to be able to practice their newly acquired hunting skills.

Meanwhile, the zoo’s meerkats were having a celebration of their own. They spent the day munching on the Christmas ornaments — pinecones that were stuffed with delicious vegetables!

Zoological Manager Mark Habben says these fun celebrations that add some festive cheer at the ZSL London Zoo, are designed to “encourage them (the animals) to use their natural skills, like foraging or sniffing out their next meal.” Judging from the reactions of the animals, they sure seemed to enjoy the special treats!

We hope you have a lovely holiday as well and receive everything you had hoped for and more!

Wish You All A Very Merry Christmas!

Resources: telegraph.co.uk, zsl.org