SUAMICO (NBC 26) — If you decided to do a little New Year cleaning and take your Christmas tree down this weekend, we've got some furry friends who will make some good use of them!
"A lot of people think they're baby goats but nope they're just a little bit smaller", said Andrea Vahey, Zoo Educator at the New Zoo.
Meet Dale and Brennen.
They're a pair of "kids" at the New Zoo in Suamico who love this time of year wen people donate their old Christmas trees.
"So goats love to eat anything. Plants are going to be their very favorite thing so when they come they will start mowing them down," Vahey said.
So no need for vacuums here as Vahey said these goats will go after the needles and even eat the branches on the sticks.
"They're really not picky but they'll just put everything right off. They won't go for the trunk of the tree but don't be surprised if some branches are missing too," Vahey said.
As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure, she said with your tree donations, it's another way the zoo can be resourceful by using an alternative food source. "We give our animals a lot of food during the winter time, especially a little bit extra to make sure they have a lot of fur and fat on their bodies. It definitely gives them an extra boost and something different to snack on," Vahey said.
But it's not all about the crunch, she adds, these trees are also good for their diets.
"Like any plant, it is going to give them those lovely nutrients that will be digested in their stomach. Just like leaves that we give the in the summer these are just from trees and it still has nutrients to give them that extra bite for the winter," Vahey said.
