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Deep-freeze snacks for orangutans in Schönbrunn

Deep-freeze snacks for orangutans in Schönbrunn

The lucky orangutans who take up residence in Europe’s oldest zoo have been indulging in a twice weekly take-away. Despite the trees in Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria now being completely bare the fury friends have fresh branches and leaves delivered twice a week.

For the first time, the leaves of the oak, maple and ash trees as well as native shrubs were put in the deep freeze this year. "In summer the zoo keepers collected small branches and plants in cooperation with the Vienna forest department and these were then chopped up and put in the freezer in the zoo. This means that the monkeys don’t have to go without their favourite snack over the winter", explained Zoo Director Dagmar Schratter.

Throughout the winter fresh twigs appear on the menus of the four orangutans every day. In their home of Borneo, leaves make up one main meal of the animal on a daily basis and it is important to mirror that here. Although the twigs are mere healthy snacks in comparison with sweet fruit, they still provide a welcome activity. "The zoo keepers spread the twigs around the entire enclosure so the monkeys have to look for them. Our male Vladimir tends to steal large bundles of the sticks but Nonja is quite content chewing on the leaves," Schratter said.

The remaining branches are then used in the evening when the orangutans use them to build a nest, just as they would in the wild.

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