Animals at Tianjin Zoo get Lantern Festival treats

The Tianjin Zoo prepared yuanxiao — balls of glutinous rice with fruit, nuts, vegetables, meat and eggs — as a Lantern Festival dessert for animals on Thursday.

The size of the dessert is tailored for different species, ranging from small to large.

The holiday is sometimes called Yuanxiao Festival. It marks the end of Spring Festival and falls on Friday this year.

The zoo said the yuanxiao adds a festive atmosphere, as some special flavors have been designed.

It is offering lantern puzzles and lantern appreciation activities for visitors coming to see pandas, monkeys, elephants, tigers and lions during the festival. The events will last until the end of this month.