ARCOLA, Ill. (WCIA) — One man’s trash is another animal’s treasure at Aikman Wildlife Adventure in Arcola. 

About ten donated Christmas trees are keeping the season of giving alive. The former holiday centerpieces are the now the newest toys of select animals. 

“We gave it to our drive thru animals — our hyenas, our foxes, our cats and they really loved it,” said animal keeper Heather Keltner. 

Some eat the trees while others just like the smell, but one thing is true for all of them — they just can’t get enough.

“It’s part of enrichment — try to increase the natural behaviors that our animals do with their environment and the enclosures they’re in,” Keltner said. 

Keltner said it’s the first time they’re doing this holiday tradition. The donated trees give the animals something to do in the new year.

“None of these animals here were wild, they were all born in captivity, but they still have those natural behaviors,” Keltner said. “So, we like to change up their environment every day. An animal in an enclosure, if you don’t give them something to do that’s different every day, can get really boring.”

The bigger animals don’t waste any time tearing into their new toy, while some of the smaller cats prefer to savor their treat.

“The drive thru [animals], they’ll probably eat it and it’ll be gone within a week, but a lot of these animals out here, like our hyenas and cats, it can last up to six months to a year,” Keltner said. “Once the tree starts dying or turning a red or brown color, we’ll take it out, but the trees will last a really long time.”

Keltner hopes this is a new way for surrounding communities to get rid of their Christmas trees, giving them another purpose after the holidays.

Aikman Wildlife Adventure posted on Facebook that they are still accepting tree donations. You can learn more here.