How Your Christmas Tree Could Become a Lion's Favorite New Toy

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.takepart.com/video/2015/01/06/what-do-your-tree-after-holidays-how-about-giving-it-lion?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2015-01-06

One zoo takes your old tree and lets African lions play with it.

January 06, 2015 By Taylor Hill

Taylor Hill is TakePart's associate environment and wildlife editor.


Fed up with waiting for the garbage collector to grab the undecorated fire hazard of a Christmas tree sitting in front of your house?

If you lived near one zoo in the United Kingdom, your tree could have been a New Year’s treat for a family of African lions.

Real Christmas trees are like “catnip” to lions, Kim Simmons, director of the Linton Zoological Gardens, told the BBC on Sunday.


Are Fences Really the Last Resort for African Lions? @ link.


The lions roll around, sleep on, and thoroughly enjoy the holiday trees, which people have been leaving at the front gate of the zoo after-hours. It’s all part of the zoo’s tree recycling program.

FULL story at link.

[zazen]

1. awwww, kitty kitty kitty--what a gorgeous creature! n/t

[turbinetree]

2. Magnificent

They truly are magnificent

[Rhiannon12866]

3. K&R! Brilliant idea and what a handsome guy!

And what a noisy place, LOL. Very cool...

[DeSwiss]

4. A toy!?

- How about a meal!?!?!

HEY LION STOP PLAYING WITH MY FOOD!!!!

These Goats Have a Job: to Eat Christmas Trees

K&R

[WhoIsNumberNone]

5. It's not just for lions either.

I've had cats who got decidedly silly when we would take down our Christmas trees and the floor was covered with pine needles.