The Wild Animals Who Go Wild For Christmas Trees

Every year, plenty of families have the same great debate: what tree are they going to get for Christmas? While plenty of people have fallen for getting an artificial tree, there are still plenty of people who love nothing more than the thrill of choosing a live tree to take home for the holiday season.

However, it can leave some people wondering what to do with the tree once the lights come down and the festivities are over. Thankfully, it seems some animals might be more than happy to take them off of our hands. In fact, the wild animals who go wild for Christmas trees might just give us even more joy from the addition than ever before.

Lions and tigers often turn Christmas trees into their personal scratching posts

They might be on the bigger end of the scale, but lions and tigers really are just that: big cats. Perhaps you’re a cat owner who has spent most of the festive season trying to keep your cat away from the Christmas tree, and you’re not ready for the fun to end just yet? Plenty of big cat sanctuaries and zoos across the nation now accept Christmas tree donations at the end of the season to give these cats something to do. After all, they’re just like one big scratching post for them - and most can’t get enough of the addition.

Kangaroos apparently love to grab the branches of old Christmas trees

When you think of animals who go wild for Christmas trees, kangaroos most likely won’t be the first creatures that come to mind. Still, it turns out the ones living at North Georgia Zoo in Cleveland, Georgia, can’t get enough of the things. It’s not just the kangaroos who get to join in on the fun, as the zoo accepts trees for the wolves, camels, porcupines, kangaroos, and many other furry residents as enrichment for the animals at the end of the holiday season. In 2018, Rachel Heck told the Gainesville Times that it “keeps their minds stimulated,” with the kangaroos particularly liking to grab the branches as they hang above their enclosure.

Fish can make a new home out of old Christmas trees in the water

Who would have thought that even fish love to get in on the festive season? That’s the case, according to The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which once used around 200 old Christmas trees to build 22 fish habitat structures. While it might not be the most conventional thing people think of donating their Christmas trees to, these structures were weighed down in the water and acted as the perfect nurseries for little fish, meaning we truly can give back to nature at the end of the celebrations.

Elephants seemingly love to chow down on used Christmas trees

If there’s one thing most of us love, it’s watching elephants play. After all, they tend to play with just about anything they can, and it turns out that Christmas trees are no exception. The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, has recently started taking donations of old trees after the holidays, and it seems they serve more than one purpose. For one, they can be a great addition to their diets as the elephants can’t get enough of the sweet resin inside. Then there’s the fact they love to throw the branches around and play with their new toy.

The wild animals who go wild for Christmas trees truly do come in all shapes and sizes, but it seems each has its own way of making use of something that could otherwise go to waste. Of course, we should always contact local organizations to donate our trees to ensure they are safe for the animals instead of leaving them out for wild animals to find.