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Read moreA spiky Christmas menu for the moose in Langenberg
Moose feed almost exclusively on conifers for months in winter. The animals eat a lot - several trees a day. Unsold Christmas trees from the region are therefore welcome. A well-established win-win situation is once again providing much joy for humans and animals this year.
"Our moose switch their diet from deciduous to coniferous trees at the end of October. Other wild animals in the Langenberg also occasionally eat conifers during the cold season - the Przewalski's horses, deer, bison and ibex like the prickly surprises," explains Martin Kilchenmann, Head of Animals at the Zurich Wilderness Park.
Moose are gourmets
Thanks to a long-standing collaboration with Coop, it is possible to cover the large demand for conifers with unsold Christmas trees. "Moose in particular don't eat very little," says Kilchenmann. An adult moose eats four to six conifers a day. The animals particularly love the nutrient-rich parts of plants such as twigs, buds and needles - so these gourmets choose their food very carefully. "Watching a moose carefully yet quickly nibble away at a coniferous tree always fascinates me," says Martin Kilchenmann. In spring, summer and fall, moose eat willow, birch, hazel, beech and maple trees.
No trees from private households
After December 24, Coop and Grün Stadt Zürich deliver unsold trees to Langenberg. Used Christmas trees from private households cannot be fed to the animals. Tinsel and wax residues would harm the animals. Checking each individual tree is too time-consuming.
Further information:
Bianca Guggenheim, Communications Officer, telephone 044 722 55 22, bianca.guggenheim@wildnispark.ch
Media event:
We invite media representatives to Langenberg Zoo for questions, photos and filming. An animal keeper will be on site to answer questions. Please register by 19.12.22 at bianca.guggenheim@wildnispark.ch.
Time and place: Tuesday, December 20 from 10-11 a.m. at the elk house in Langenberg Zoo.
Please use the parking facilities near the pedestrian bridge. A few steps after entering the western part is the moose enclosure with the moose house.
Images for the media release in high resolution as ZiP
Legends:
- The unsold Christmas trees are a delicacy for moose. (Image: Zurich Wilderness Park Foundation/Stefan Eichholzer)
- Moose switch their diet to conifers in winter. (Image: Zurich Wilderness Park Foundation/Stefan Eichholzer)
