Tiger Enrichment

At CMZ it is our number one job to ensure our animals constantly receive the best care possible and they have happy, healthy lives! 

A big part of this quality care is providing them with an environment that is dynamic and provides daily opportunities and choices for the animals to use their senses and adaptations.  One of the ways we provide those opportunities is through enrichment.

Enrichment is anything that we (animal care staff) can provide that enhances our animals’ environments at the zoo with the goal of drawing out species appropriate behavior.  Just like all the other animals at CMZ, the tigers get enrichment at least once a day.  They are offered a very wide variety of different enrichment items from perfume to boxes to special food items.  They receive something different every day and we try not to repeat enrichment items more than once a month to keep it exciting and novel. 

In the wild, a tiger would spend many hours each day seeking out, hunting and eventually eating their prey.  Because of this, a lot of the tiger’s favorite enrichment items involving food.  We offer food enrichment in a variety of ways: hiding it throughout the enclosure, putting it inside something they have to tear apart or even freezing it into ice treats.  All of these activities encourage the cats to use their adaptations like sense of smell or physical strength to “catch their prey”.  Some of their other favorite types of enrichment are large plastic toys, large boxes they can tear apart and scents, like perfume and spices, sprayed throughout their enclosure.  Providing them with a large variety of enrichment items on a daily basis is a very important part of keeping our tigers active and engaged here at the zoo!!

Zoo LOVE is in the Air!

 

Pasta for Christmas?

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the zoo
Not a creature was stirring, not even Tamu.
The stockings were hung by the exhibits with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

According to a tradition traced back to 1820, Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, his nine reindeer and many elves. Each year on Christmas Eve, Santa and his elves pack the sleigh for a worldwide adventure, leaving toys for all of the good girls, boys and yes, even the animals here at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

On Christmas morning when the keepers arrive, there are two special packages awaiting them. The packages aren’t for the keepers though; they are for the animals. A special food package may hold elk or deer hide, animal legs or even pasta to cook, and a large gift box (yes, it’s wrapped) is full of special items, including:

-         Burlap bags for the apes to use as toys. The bags usually end up over their heads at some point, mimicking what they would do with a large leaf in the wild.

-         Peanut butter & jelly is the favorite of most animals here at the zoo. The keepers will spread it on the walls within an animal’s exhibit or place it on a razor board (a hard plastic board with holes) and allow the animals to pick it out of the holes.

-         Sugar-free Gatorade or Kool-Aid is used to make ice treats for the animals adding a little flavor to their water.

-         Jell-O is given to all areas of the zoo for a special treat. Due to the red coloring, we stay away from cherry or strawberry flavors. We don’t want visitors to think our animals are injured.

-         Coconuts are given out to numerous animals including the primates, and they are the porcupine’s favorite treat.

-         Cereal is a great training tool, and rumor has it the animals love Raisin Bran.

-         Spices and perfumes are sprayed randomly in an animal’s exhibit to ignite their senses. When the animals approach the new scent, it is very intriguing to them and makes for a sometimes comical reaction.

These presents are used throughout the year for animal enrichment. In the wild, animals would spend many hours a day trying to find, collect and eat food.  At the zoo, they obviously don’t have to work quite as hard to “earn their living” but still have a lot of adaptations and energy that they need to use.  This is where enrichment comes in.  The items listed above are used for activities which provide mental and physical stimulation, with the goal of promoting species-appropriate natural behaviors in the animals under our care. We identify specific behaviors, such as foraging or grooming, and create toys or activities to encourage that behavior.  These activities challenge our animals’ bodies and minds to keep them active and engaged.
If you are interested in playing Santa Claus to the animals, check out the “Wish List” on the Electric Safari event page.  The list includes the items we are currently accepting. Plus, when you bring an item during Electric Safari, you’ll receive discounted admission.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!