German zoos get teeth into Chistmas tree leftovers

BERLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) Germans have found a novel way of recycling thousands of used and unsold Christmas trees: give them to the local zoo to feed to the animals.

''Elephants around the country will enjoy a delicious lunch today consisting of about five Christmas trees each,'' Berlin Zoo spokesman Ragnar Kuehne told Reuters yesterday.

Camels, deer and sheep would also be dining on the leftover trees, which could aid digestion because of the essential oils they contained, he added.

REUTERS MQA HS0910