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Animal Wish List of Enrichment Items
Animal care staff at the Houston Zoo spend a good deal of time and take pride in coming up with innovative ways to enrich the lives of the animals in the collection. The Zoo is a non profit organization and we do all we can to provide creative and new enrichment items -- but we can always do more. This is where you can help to make a difference.
The Houston Zoo’s Enrichment Committee has put together an Amazon.com Enrichment Wish List. You can now visit the Houston Zoo’s wish list and see what each animal department is requesting to help encourage natural behaviors in species under their care. All purchases will be delivered directly to the zoo and be put to good use.
To visit our wish list you can go on the Amazon site, go to the wish list section and type in "Houston Zoo". CLICK HERE for a link that will take you right there.
Now, the items below can be found at pet stores, home improvement stores, and department
stores. Our animals say a hearty thank you in advance for your kind and thoughtful generosity!
stores. Our animals say a hearty thank you in advance for your kind and thoughtful generosity!
Note: All items for donation must be new and in their original, unopened packaging.
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Olfactory Enrichment
We use olfactory, or scent, enrichment in the exhibits and holding. The scent encourages the animals to explore their "territory" to smell who or what has been in their area and in some cases mark the area themselves. Animals will often rub on or roll in the scented area.
- Perfumes
- Spices (salt-free)
- Extracts
Visual and Auditory Enrichment
New sights and sounds can be enriching even if they are placed outside the animal's enclosure. In addition to providing variety in their day, sights and sounds may elicit other natural behaviors like stalking, vigilance and exploring.- Animal sound CDs
- Wind chimes
- Mirrors
- Wind socks
- Bells
Object Enrichment
Some animals will manipulate objects by pushing them around, swatting them, chewing on them or carrying them around. Some of these items can also be filled with food so the animals can forage for their diet like they would do in the wild.Exhibit Enhancements
Keepers make changes to the exhibits regularly to provide variety for the animals. These items are used in building enrichment items and enhancing the enclosures.
- PVC pipes, caps and threaded caps of all diameters
- Carabineers make it easier to hang ropes and toys
- Live plants such as bromeliads, monkey grass, bamboo, ginger, hibiscus, banana, flowering kale, mint
- Bird swings
- Unpainted wicker baskets
- Nylon and natural fiber ropes up to 1" diameter
Can't Decide?
Make a tax-deductible donation to our Animal Enrichment Fund, and we’ll choose something for you!
· $25 could help our elephants chill out with tropical fruit ice pops
· $50 could help our tigers have fun with sprinklers and cat toys
· $100 could help our chimps get artsy with painting supplies
We also welcome gift cards from home improvement and pet stores!
