How Did Animals At The Detroit Zoo React To Christmas Trees?

ROYAL OAK, MI — How you would react if someone dropped a Christmas tree out of nowhere into your house? Excited? Suspicious? Overcome with extreme wonder? If animals thought like people do, those sentiments surely would run through the minds of bison, wolverines, wolves and arctic foxes at the Detroit Zoo Thursday as they received a surprise delivery of Christmas trees plopped into their habitats.

A massive bison at first head butted the tree, then had a change of heart and seemed to relish the feel of the prickly tree bristles rubbing against his face.

Pro tip: Excellent exfoliating regimen on display.

See the little guy below?

He's a wolverine giving the dead-eye and was not afraid to get up close and personal with the tree. He walked on top of it, sat on it, and at one point burrowed himself into the tree as though it was his new house. Living in a Christmas tree does sound fun — and would smell scrumptious.

Could this be the next HGTV show? Call Chip and JoJo.

Arctic fox coming through.

The arctic foxes were fast on the scene to investigate and in full patrol mode, repeatedly circling and sniffing the trees. Talk about a strong neighborhood watch.

The gray wolves had not eaten breakfast (a tube of beef) when the trees appeared, so after a fleeting moment of using the trees as their own personal back and head massagers, their attention understandably shifted to the Detroit Zoo staff member who feeds them standing nearby.

Interesting gray wolf fact, courtesy of the Detroit Zoo staff: The white wolf in the photo is the alpha, and likes to hide her food in the area and go back to nibble when she needs a snack attack. The dark wolf pictured is reportedly a food thief, and steals the hidden beef tubes. Evidence that everyone has drama in their lives — including wolves.

So, why were surprise Christmas tree deliveries to the Detroit Zoo residents? The "unpainted, untreated, never-decorated trees" were donated by English Gardens in Royal Oak, and the idea of introducing these recycled trees into Zoo living quarters is to keep animals' senses sharp and stimulated.

You can check out the wolves, bison, wolverines and arctic foxes in action in this video.

Video and photos courtesy of Jennie Miller of the Detroit Zoo