Barcelona Zoo is decked out for Christmas with new decorations and a special program running until January 5th. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities that encourage children to discover the richness of biodiversity and the importance of preserving it. A 12-meter-tall Christmas tree and an area to learn how the Tió (a traditional Catalan Christmas log) takes care of the forests are among the highlights.

For the first time, a large 12-meter-tall Christmas tree decorates the Plaça de la Dama del Paraguas (Lady of the Umbrella Square). In addition, there are Christmas and winter-themed photo booths scattered throughout the Zoo, where children and adults alike can take pictures, sing carols, or even make the Tió de Nadal (Catalan log) "poop." Another highlight is La Casa dels Tions (The House of the Tió), a space to discover how this emblematic figure of the Catalan forests cares for the natural environment and how we can all help. La Casa dels Tions is located at the entrance to the Savannah-Sahel area. On December 24th, all visitors are invited to make the Tió de Nadal "poop" in the Plaça de la Dama del Paraguas. This event, a Christmas tradition at the Barcelona Zoo, will take place at 12 noon.

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The Zoo of the future is already in place. Barcelona City Council presented this Monday the new spaces that will forever redefine the facilities of Parc de la Ciutadella. Three new areas—the Bioscope, the Isolated Areas, and the Discovering the Mediterranean—will help complete the Zoo's transition, which has long since transitioned from its role as a reserve for exotic animals to become a center for the conservation and recovery of biodiversity. A transformation that the city has been debating for years and which now, in the words of Mayor Jaume Collboni, is facing the "final stretch."

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Imagine your eyes shining when you talk about the love of your life, yet at the same time you believe that loves like yours should never exist. This is what happens to Barcelona native Emilia López, who during her youth cared for (and loved) the most iconic orca of all time, Ulysses. "When I was young, I thought I'd die with Ulysses in a pool; he was the love of my life!" she recalls while showing old photographs from that time. She appears thirty years younger, with very long hair and the same intense gaze. What does she think now? "That dolphins and orcas shouldn't exist in captivity."

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"Hydration, feeding, and ventilation are the main aspects we adapt during hot periods to ensure the animals' well-being," explains Antoni Alarcón, director of the Barcelona Zoo. It's 11:30 in the afternoon and the temperature is 31 degrees. These measures include providing more drinking fountains and changing the water more frequently, intensifying cleaning and changing the water in bathing areas and mud pits for some species—such as warthogs and elephants—and improving the ventilation of the enclosures. This diet is a complement to improve the animals' hydration and does not replace anything they normally eat. Pieces of fruit found among the ice: "The fact that they have to lick them little by little helps them hydrate," explains Alarcón.

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The latest installation at Barcelona Zoo is a door open to the future of this space. Three weeks ago, the park opened its doors. Take care of them, an immersive experience that aims to raise awareness among visitors about the importance of preserving biodiversity. This is the zoo's first animal-free facility. It's another step toward strengthening the role this space has long played and must expand in the coming years: becoming more of a center for the conservation and recovery of biodiversity and less of a place to observe exotic animals.

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