ENRICHMENT
Enrichment items are provided by zookeepers to stimulate animals’ natural behaviors, eliminate boredom, and provide both mental and physical exercise.
There are different categories of enrichment that can be seen at the Zoo, including manipulative, sensory, food, environmental, social, training, and habitat enrichment. These different categories are put on a schedule so all animals in the Zoo receive a variety of enrichment. Examples of some things the animals may receive are puzzle feeders, perfume, changing the perching, or novel foods.
Enrichment is an extremely important part of zookeeping as it helps increase natural behaviors and thus enhances the overall welfare of the animals.