The animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom had Christmas come early

Disney World’s Animal Kingdom enrichment program helps keep the animals interested and active through activates and forms of objects designed for their behaviors.

Disney World is in the midst of the holiday season, but for a group of western lowland gorillas in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Christmas arrived early.

Earlier this month, on a chilly morning, the gorillas celebrated with dozens of colorfully wrapped gifts. There was food inside every gift, including popcorn, oats, alfalfa, hay, and more. It was edible, including the wrapping paper that was torn apart to get at the food.

The blankets and the wrapped items are not merely presents for the gorillas. They are a component of the park's wider enrichment program.

Tens of thousands of large and small creatures call Animal Kingdom home. Additionally, all of them receive enrichment in the form of objects or activities designed to encourage the animals' natural behaviors. Presents scattered throughout the gorilla habitat allow the primates to search for food as they would in the wild, or they can utilize their climbing skills to get to the presents tucked away in the trees.

Animal care staff at Disney World collaborates to create ways to keep animals interested and active. The park's major project is animal enrichment, with Angela Levanik, an animal keeper at the park contributing to the creation of enrichment materials. These materials often come from commonplace objects repurposed into unique items, such as paper towel rolls found throughout Disney World property.