TAMPA — Christmas came early Friday at Lowry Park Zoo during a Presents for Primates event.
The seasonal enrichment event proceeded through various primate exhibits for approximately 45 minutes.
Zoo staff tossed wrapped presents filled with toys, children's books, pine cones, coconuts, dried fruits and shirts.
Jane Lefave, a primate keeper at the zoo, said that they do enrichment exercises, such as giving presents to the primates, in order to "challenge their minds and keep them more stimulated."
Amy Blackford, also a primate keeper with Lowry Park Zoo, explained that enrichment programs like these help keep the zoo animals' instincts sharp and to simulate activities they would do in the wild.