This Friday marked the Dragon Boat Festival and animals at a zoo in Kaohsiung were celebrating as well. Zoo keepers went out of their way to make special “zongzi” which are normally made from sticky rice wrapped in leaves and steamed. In this case, however, the animals got zongzi with other fillings, more in line with their usual diets.
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At the Shoushan Zoo in Kaohsiung, a Bengal tiger named A-Hu is having a ball, chomping away at a chicken-filled zongzi. An African lion called Little Xin not only got specially made zongzi for lunch, but also got to lick a big piece of ice to cool down.
Elephant A-Li extends his trunk to snatch a zongzi and stuffs it in his mouth. It’s so good he goes for another one. And two chimpanzees enjoy their zongzi filled with fruit cubes.
The zookeepers are highly skilled at making zongzi, filling some with grains and boiled eggs. Other kinds are made according to the different animals’ diets, and include ingredients like beef or chicken, or fruit like watermelons or apples.
Even though the zoo is currently closed for renovation, the staff shared videos of their charges enjoying zongzi on social media. Animal lovers can now celebrate the holiday with their favorite animal friends.