Season’s Feedings

The year is coming to an end, but not before the Zoo celebrates the holidays with a special Animeals for the bongo! Bongo are a species of forest antelope who primarily eat leaves, bushes, vines, bark, grasses, herbs and roots, and occasionally eat fruits. For this holiday edition of Animeals, Chef Yohn collaborated with a special guest, Elf Chef Roary, the Zoo’s infamous elf on the shelf. Together with Roary, Chef Yohn hand cut different types of browse from Zoo grounds and crafted wreaths using the browse, which is another word for vegetation.

Despite the chilly, rainy weather, Yohn ventured out in search of wax myrtle, russian olive and bamboo chutes. After grabbing a handful of materials, he met Chef Roary back in the Diet Kitchen to start putting the wreaths together. The two also used banana leaves, apple slices and grapes to craft the wreaths.

SEASON’s feedings: wreaths

INGREDIENTS:

• Wax myrtle branches

• Russian Olive branches

• young bamboo chutes

• banana leaves

• apple, sliced

• grapes

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Intertwine branches and chutes into a wreath shape. This is a trial and error process, so just keep working the branches until you get the desired shape and the wreaths hold together.

Step 2: Tie a banana leaf into a bow or to hold branches together.

Step 3: Stick grapes onto the ends of branches.

Step 4: Place apples in between tight branches.

Step 5: Admire your work!

Step 6: Hang wreaths in bongo exhibit.

Step 7: Bon Appétit, or as we say at the Zoo: Bongopétit!

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