Elks in Langenberg love Christmas trees

On November 6, the animal keepers at the Zurich Langenberg Wilderness Park switched the elk's diet from deciduous trees to conifers. This change corresponds to the natural diet in the wild. An adult moose eats four to six conifers a day. There are currently three adult moose and twins from this year living at the zoo. The unsold Christmas trees, which are transported to Langenberg by regional retailers and Coop sales outlets after December 24, are therefore very welcome.

Moose particularly love the nutrient-rich parts of plants such as twigs, buds and needles. The large ruminants are true foraging specialists who select their food very carefully. Incidentally, used Christmas trees cannot be fed. Tinsel and wax residues are harmful to the animals. And the effort involved in checking every single tree is too great.

Further information

Martin Kilchenmann
Head of Communication
Zoological Curator
Tel. 044 722 55 24
martin.kilchenmann@wildnispark.ch