Big cats at Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary get massive donation of Christmas trees

Thursday, 9 January 2020

Big cats at a Northland wildlife sanctuary have hundreds of Christmas trees to play with thanks to donations from the public and tree companies.

Since Christmas, the lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs from Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary have been having loads of fun. 

The Christmas trees have been used as mattresses, pillows and even toothpicks. 

On Boxing Day, the wildlife sanctuary said it was on the hunt for used Christmas trees to provide 'enrichment' in the form of toys for the 22 big cats.

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'Big cats just really like to destroy stuff. So they'll rub on the trees or chew and crush them up,' owner Janette Allance said. 

'It's interacting with the smells or just moving them around in their enclosure. It makes them stretch and move.'

Cheetah Thabo 'inspected' the tree which had been placed between two rocks in her enclosure, while black leopard Mandla was fond of smooching his Christmas trees.

White lions Sabie and Sibili had turned their trees into mattresses, pillows and even used them as toothpicks.

The wildlife sanctuary said on its Facebook page it could take no more trees on January 6.

It had had received 105 trees from Zach's Christmas trees alone. 

Northland Tree Services had also pitched in, including the community. 

The wildlife sanctuary is based in Whangārei and has 16 lions, four tigers, a leopard and a cheetah.

It has been closed for five years and came under new ownership two years ago, with plans to reopen later this summer. 

Formerly known as the Zion Wildlife Gardens, the attraction rose to fame through the Lion Man television series featuring Craig 'Lion Man' Busch.