What is Enrichment?
Animals in nature have to work for a living—to find food, to make nests, and to find shelter. Play is another natural activity. Life at a zoo is more predictable than the wild; and so we use enrichment to create variety through work and play. We create an environment for our animals that allows for physical and mental choices and challenges.
How do we enrich our animals?
We choose items and activities that are safe and encourage natural behaviors. For example, orangutans in the wild make nests each time they stop to take a nap or go to sleep at night. We give our orangutans cut branches of hackberry, mulberry, banana leaves, willow, hay, or bamboo to make nests with. We can also give them “toys” like huge balls that are indestructible (especially made for Zoo animals) and rubber tubs, crates, and colorful fabric.
Hiding food can make life more challenging; so for maned wolves, we hide the goods or the keepers place supper in a container that takes a little more than a quick lick to get to. Even turtles and snakes benefit from enrichment; it keeps them active and interested in the world around them.
Naturalistic exhibits stimulate our animals in ways that elicit natural behavior and prevent inactivity. Physical and mental development is an important aspect for healthy and happy animals.
Most people are not aware that the majority of zoo animals today are born in zoos where they serve as ambassadors for their counterparts in the wild. Keeping our animals active and healthy gives you the chance to see them in a natural and beautiful habitat that encourages appreciation for the natural world.
Give a Gift to the Houston Zoo Animals! Visit our Enrichment Item Wish List page.
