London Zoo's endangered lion cubs and squirrel monkeys receive early Christmas presents

Animals at London Zoo received festive treats today as an early Christmas present from their keepers.

Endangered Asiatic lion cubs Mali, Syanii and Shanti woke up to find their home filled with golden presents, perfumed with frankincense and myrrh fragrances.

The scented gifts were novel offerings to encourage the lions to put their great sense of smell to the test, exploring the unfamiliar smell and the wrapped present boxes. 

• Watch: London Zoo's Asiatic lion family enjoy the holiday surprise

Their father Bhanu and mother Arya also got to enjoy some of the gifts.

The lions weren't the only animal to receive a present from keepers, the Zoo’s group of Black-capped squirrel monkeys opened a small pile of advent calendar boxes.

Each box was filled their favourite insects, nuts and seeds to enjoy for breakfast.

The boxes allow the highly dexterous monkeys to try new challenging ways to search for their food, utilising their excellent foraging skills to open the cardboard advent presents. 

Head of Zoological Operations at London Zoo, Angela Ryan said: “Introducing these festive offerings to the animals’ habitats is a way to encourage the lions and monkeys to use their incredible exploratory skills.

"The Asiatic lions rely on their keen sense of smell to discover treats, while others, like the squirrel monkeys, will put their problem-solving skills to the test, figuring out how to access goodies hidden inside festive packaging.” 

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