Animals enjoy Christmas at London Zoo

It was time for some festive fun at ZSL London Zoo today, as the keepers prepared some seasonal surprises for the zoo's residents.

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The meerkat mob chomped down on some pinecone baubles stuffed with festive veg, hanging from a Christmas tree.

Meanwhile six-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs Achilles and Karis woke up to a pile of pretty presents to rip open!

ZSL's Zoological Manager Mark Habben said: "We love a bit of festive cheer at ZSL London Zoo, and like to find fun ways for the animals to join in the festivities.

"We've come up with a variety of activities to encourage them to use their natural skills, like foraging or sniffing out their next meal: our tiger cubs loved using their newly learnt hunting prowess to rip open their presents, while our meerkats searched for their treats under the tree - just like kids all over the country on Christmas day."

ZSL London Zoo is open to the public all year round except for Christmas Day with plenty of festive activities on offer including special reindeer talks every weekend.

To find out more and book your tickets, visit: www.zsl.org.