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Creative Zoo Hides 'Elf On The Shelf' In A New Animal Exhibit Each Day

Updated August 25, 2021

The Elf on the Shelf typically watches over children, but what about all the animals of the world?

One zoo has put their own spin on this holiday tradition by deciding to hide their elf in a new animal exhibit each day. The goal of this idea is to spread a little Christmas cheer to all animals and teach visitors about these unique critters.

By now, you're probably familiar with the Elf on the Shelf tradition.

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These "elves" watch over children in the days leading up to Christmas and report good behavior to Santa every night. Each morning, the elf will be in a new spot around the home for children to find.

One zoo in Canada decided to go wild with their own take on this tradition.

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The Toronto Zoo introduced their elf named Zelf through a Facebook post on November 30.

Each day, Zelf is hidden in a new animal exhibit around the zoo.

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If visitors spot the elf, they can take a picture and upload it to their social media with the hashtag #ZelfOnAShelf for a chance to win a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo.

So far, Zelf has hung out with a number of playful primates.

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This elf was spotted relaxing with sloths and colorful golden lion tamarins.

In addition to the cute photos, followers also learn interesting facts about the animals featured in every post.

Zelf also spent some time soaking up the sun with some reptiles.

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This lizard looks like it is smiling for the camera as it poses with Zelf.

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love this take on the Elf on the Shelf tradition. We'll just have to see what creatures Zelf encounters next!