This holiday season, people around the world dressed as Santa came out in full force to mingle with animals, spreading Yuletide cheer (and treats) to a menagerie of friends, including giraffes, cats, fish, and, of course, reindeer.
At the Australian Reptile Park, Santa recently dropped by to visit the zoo’s inhabitants, providing leaves to a koala named Elsa and giving a feeding bottle to Lizzie, a wombat. This daring Santa even milked a venomous snake and was quoted by the Associated Press as saying: “I love Australian animals so much! Australia has all sorts of different and dangerous wildlife, I would have spent all day there but I have so much left I need to finish before Christmas!”
Across the world, in London, Santa stopped by the royal residence Clarence House and was joined by Camilla, queen consort, with Blixen the reindeer, greeting kids as part of a children’s charity. Together they decorated a Christmas tree and handed out festive surprises, with Blixen being the star of the show.
Though he wears a heavy suit, diving is definitely not off-limits for Santa. Whether they’re in Thailand, South Africa, or Japan, several Santas across the world have been appearing with a wide variety of marine life, including sharks and sea turtles, delighting aquarium attendees. Though diving Santa may seem far out, arguably the wildest Santa–related animal event of this past year was the Santa Claus donkey race — yes, you read that right! — which happened on Dec. 18 for the second year in a row in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
