London Zoo primates open Christmas stockings
The Christmas stockings were garnished with sweetcorn and hung on branches around the habitat.
Gorillas and monkeys at London Zoo have celebrated Christmas early, as they opened stockings and sacks gifted by their zookeepers.
The festive sacks were filled with the animals’ favourite snacks, inviting the primates to forage for some nutritious food.
The Rainforest Life habitat, which is home to reptiles, monkeys and sloths, was decked with animal-safe seasonal decorations. The Christmas stockings were garnished with sweetcorn and hung on branches around the habitat.
The zoo’s saki monkeys leapt from stocking-to-stocking to rummage for their festive food.
In the Gorilla Kingdom, Kiburi, an adult silverback gorilla, was treated to two festive sacks to rummage through for tasty morsels. Meanwhile Gernot, a playful young silverback, was spotted running off with an armful of presents.
The fun enrichment forms part of London Zoo’s Magic of Christmas event, which runs until Sunday, 4 January. Until then, the zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland for its visitors and its animals.
Children are invited to join with Christmas activities, including festive animal talks and elf storytelling.
Visitors can also see more of the gorilla troop, including baby gorillas Venus and Juno, throughout the winter season. Venus’ birth in January 2024 formed part of the zoo’s endangered species breeding programme, helping boost the population of Western lowland gorillas.
As a result of poaching and disease, numbers of Western lowland gorillas have declined by more than 60 per cent in the last 25 years.
The Magic of Christmas at London Zoo runs from 22 November 2025 until 4 January 2026. Tickets for the festive experience are included with zoo entry.
Image © ZSL/Dominic Lipinski. Used with permission from ZSL.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
