This is the moment hungry sheep munch on the branches of a Christmas tree that zookeepers had set up for some endangered monkeys by decorating it with edible decorations.<br /><br />The incident took place at the Schoenbrunn Zoo in the Austrian capital Vienna, when zookeepers set up this Christmas tree for the zoo's endangered Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus).<br /><br />The zoo said in a statement obtained by Zenger News: "When the Barbary macaques in Schoenbrunn Zoo are surprised with a Christmas tree, paprika rings and nut packs are in demand. The tree decorations of a different kind were a small pre-Christmas surprise for the zookeepers."<br /><br />Zookeeper Marko Ascher said: "The Barbary macaques immediately pounced on the peppers and fetched the nuts wrapped as gifts from the tree - a welcome change for our animals. The cleared fir tree was then a treat for the Barbary sheep."<br /><br />The footage indeed shows the sheep then chewing on the fir tree's branches after the monkeys cleaned it of its decorations.<br /><br />The zoo said that "in the end, almost nothing was left of the tree".<br /><br />Barbary macaques have been sharing a home with the Barbary sheep at the zoo for over 25 years.<br /><br />Since September 2021, they have been living together in their new, significantly larger home, which has been modelled on their region of origin, the North African Atlas Mountains.<br /><br />December 21, 2021<br />Schoenbrunn Zoo<br />Vienna, AUSTRIA<br />Source: Daniel Zupanc<br /><br />#Animals #Christmas #Wildlife #Sheep #Conservation #Cute
