AT the Lake District Wildlife Park, staff are busy getting their animals prepared for the cooler winter months ahead.
This means moving some of them into stables or smaller enclosures.
For the animals that feature in the Living Nativity scene, they receive the bonus of getting a bit of extra food every day as they are in the animal hand feeding zone.
This year the main stars in the Nativity for another year running will be Annie and Dooley the donkeys.
Each morning they will spend a few hours out on the paddock before heading into their stable in the undercover area.
There they form an integral part of the story as Mary rode to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey just like Dooley!
The Park’s donkeys are Jerusalem donkeys and if you look on Dooleys back he has the classic markings of a cross.
Depending on what information you read there are many different theories from storytellers, Christians, and scientists, as to why and how the donkey got this unique marking.
All donkeys are said to have them, but Dooley’s cross is more noticeable than Annie’s. Donkeys have soft muzzles, and they love to be hand-fed grass pellets, so Christmas is quite good fun for them with all the passing visitors!
Next to the Donkeys it is yet to be revealed if the Cameroon sheep will be moving in or if it will be Marshmallow the Dwarf Zebu.
The sheep resided there last year but Marshmallow the cow is a hot contender to have a starring role this year. He was born at the end of July and like his brothers Niko and Arlo he is adorable.
In the end pen of the Nativity scene is a group of six Bagot goat kids that were also born this summer and are mischievous and inquisitive.
This pen is where the shepherds are watching over their flocks and although they are not strictly a flock, the cheeky goats do need watching over!
The goats are not shy and they also love being hand-fed, but they are surprisingly gentle when they take food from your hand.
In the Nativity story, when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, they were told that there was 'No room at the Inn' (in our story this is the Hearty Herdwick Inn!).
There was however room in the stables with all the animals.
So, if Mary and Joseph were to arrive at the Park they would be sharing with two boisterous donkeys, a sweet cow and six mischievous goats!
The nativity is set up to tell the traditional story but also encourages visitors to get involved and to have some fun.
There is three wise men 'head pop' where visitors can get their photo taken.
Alternatively, there are plenty of dressing up costumes and a stage where anyone can get involved and become part of a very special living nativity scene!
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