Animals
Giving presents to the monkeys in the Wilhelma
Bonobos in the Wilhelma in Stuttgart unpack their Christmas presents. photo
© Franziska Kraufmann/Wilhelma/dpa
Great apes like surprises. In the Stuttgart Zoo they received tied packages. What was the matter?
The bonobos in Stuttgart’s Wilhelma received rich presents for Christmas: On Monday, they were curious to receive the packages with the little surprises from the animal keepers before tearing open the packages and enjoying the contents. “Great apes are very curious and like surprises,” said a spokeswoman for the only zoological and botanical garden in Germany. “That’s why they are just as happy about gifts as we are.”
Instead of mobile phones, books or dolls, the bonobo granny received Kombote and the others tasty snacks such as raisins and popcorn. “The animals get such delicacies regularly, but of course there is a little more than usual at Christmas,” it said.
The main purpose of the packages is to entertain the animals. And so that this takes a bit of time, the bonobos don’t make it easy to have fun. Every year, the packages are tied tightly under the colorful wrapping paper, the lining is hidden between wood shavings and newspaper.