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Animal Wishlist of Enrichment Items
The items below can be found at pet stores, home improvement stores, and department
stores. All Meet the Keeper Talks at the Zoo are sponsored by Target. Please consider supporting our sponsor by purchasing your enrichment items at your local Target store!
stores. All Meet the Keeper Talks at the Zoo are sponsored by Target. Please consider supporting our sponsor by purchasing your enrichment items at your local Target store!
Note: All items for donation must be new and in their original, unopened packaging.
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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.|
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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
