Zoo Animals Take Part in Pumpkin Head Challenge With Hilarious Results

Animals at Drusillas Zoo Park near Alfriston in the U.K. have taken part in the much-loved viral "Pumpkin Head Challenge" in a series of adorable images.

Bringing some Halloween spirit to the animals, zookepers treated servals, monkeys, sloths, capybaras and otters to some seasonal snacks this week in the form of Jack-o-lanterns.

As part of the animal's daily enrichment program, keepers offered the residents some pumpkin treats and decided to have a little bit of fun at the same time.

Zookeeper Claudia Farley told Newsweek: "It's really important for us to give our animals stimulation and enrichment every day, and many of them already have pumpkin as part of their natural diet. Each day we try to mix it up and provide a new form of enrichment for them, whether it's scent enrichment using herbs and oils, puzzle equipment, or food presented in new ways."

In the pictures, animals of all kinds tucked into pumpkin treats—but the zookeepers went the extra mile and carved them out so that the animals could take part in the well-known pumpkin head challenge.

First coined in 2021, internet users on TikTok started sharing seasonal pictures of themselves with carved-out pumpkins on their heads.

Hollowing out a pumpkin, carving a face into it and putting it on your head, the picture results of the challenge are hilarious as pumpkin people appear in woods, at pumpkin patches, and even in supermarkets.

This year, the trend is back once again as Halloween fans rush to take exciting pictures of their pumpkin-people creations and share them online—but few of them have as much cute factor as the Drusillas Zoo pictures.

While the results left keepers in stitches, it wasn't just about having a good time either.

"It might look like we're just having fun, but it's actually a really vital part of our job to continually offer new activities to keep their minds stimulated and encourage them to problem solve and engage in natural behaviors," explained Farley: "In the wild, food wouldn't just be handed to them every day, so this is a great way to make them work for it."

The award-winning zoo is home to all manner of exotic animals, including sloths, meerkats, monkeys and penguins. As the spooky season approaches fast, Drusillas zoo is getting set for its annual Shriek Week event where visitors can enjoy family-friendly Halloween-themed attractions including haunted houses and a mummy maze.

With decorations scattered around the park, the team says no pumpkin decorations will go to waste after the big event. Any leftovers will be offered up to many of the zoo's 800 animals so they can enjoy an extra special treat.