Animals at a Swiss zoo got an Alpine treat when dozens of unsold Christmas trees were delivered for them to munch on and play with.

A spokesman at Zurich Zoo told Newsflash that around 120 Christmas trees that had not been sold had been sent to the zoo over the last few days so that various animal species could have a late Christmas treat.

The event, which was sponsored by Migros, saw Christmas trees delivered to animals including camels, alpacas, llamas, and vicunas.

They were also given to different species of antelope and other cloven-footed animals, and there were even a few trees for the big cats to play with and for the elephants to eat.

The zoo explained that while they were food for some, for other species at the zoo they were something different to play with.

Zoo staff stressed that only unsold Christmas trees could be fed to the animals, as used ones might still have traces of decorations, such as gold thread or tinsel, stuck in the branches.

Others might even have had fire retardant chemicals sprayed on them, which could be deadly for the animals.

As a result, although well-meaning people may want to offer them Christmas trees, they can sadly not be accepted.