WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. — The holiday season may be winding down, but for the animals at Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park near Lake Ariel, it's the most wonderful time of the year.
The zoo is once again asking for the public to donate Christmas trees.
"A lot of our predators love the smell of the Christmas trees. A lot of our petting area animals love them for chewing on them, and honestly, a lot of them love just rubbing up against them like a big brush," said zookeeper Drew D'Ascoli.
The zoo in Salem Township has been collecting trees for over a decade.
D'Ascoli says enrichment is a key part of taking care of animals in captivity, and Christmas trees offer that.
"Because they are our wildlife ambassadors, they can't survive in the wild, but they won't get necessarily as much stimulation, so we supplement that and give them a lot of toys and activities almost to lie make sure their minds are active, so they are both physically and mentally healthy."
Kyle from Dunmore started dropping off his trees years ago. He says it's a great way to recycle.
"It's a yearly tradition for me, and I just do it myself," he said. "I go up and down my neighborhood, look for trees on the side of the road, and throw them in the back of the truck."
If you plan to drop off your tree, make sure it has no paint, tinsel, or ornaments.
"It's like your last-ditch giving, you know, after the season is over. Maybe you get a bang for your Christmas tree buck or something like that. It goes towards something good," Kyle said.
"If you give us a tree, you are taking some of the load off of our hands, and we get to actually work and spend more time focusing on the animal instead of just their toys. So it makes our job easier, and it makes the animals happier," D'Ascoli added.
You can drop off your tree until the end of the month.