London zoo animals enjoy festive Easter egg treats

Black-capped squirrel monkeys eat food contained within papier mache eggs at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - Lemurs, monkeys and Komodo dragons enjoyed festive treats at London zoo on Thursday when keepers fed them Easter eggs.

Whether finding and retrieving treats from colorful oval containers or feasting on actual eggs, they celebrated the season - and at the same time followed their natural instincts.

Ganas, the Komodo Dragon, who can sniff out food from up to 6 miles (9 km) away by using his tongue, made short work of a selection of duck, quail and chicken eggs.

A ring-tailed lemur eats food contained within a papier mache egg at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

"Komodo dragons actually eat eggs in the wild," said keeper Joe Capon. "They'll eat eggs of other dragons and they'll eat eggs of crocodiles, so they like to do it here too in captivity."

The zoo says the Easter-themed event encourages captive animals to use skills they would need in the wild, like finding food among foliage.

A ring-tailed lemur eats food contained within a papier mache egg at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

(Reporting by Saskia O'Donoghue; editing by Stephen Addison)

A ring-tailed lemur eats food contained within a papier mache egg at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A Komodo dragon, named Ganas, eats a raw egg at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A ring-tailed lemur eats food contained within a papier mache egg at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A ring-tailed lemur sits in the sun at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A black-capped squirrel monkey eats food contained within a papier mache egg at London Zoo in London, Britain, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville