Environmental Enrichment aims to provide zoo animals with a stimulating environment full of behavioral opportunities similar to those found by their wild counterparts.
OBJECTIVES
1. Improve the welfare/well-being of the animals by
- reducing the levels of abnormal/injurious behavior
- increasing exercise
- satisfying 'behavioral' needs
- optimizing the level of stimulation
2. Interest & educate zoo visitors by increasing the levels of natural & interesting behavior.
3. Conserve endangered species by improving the success of captive breeding & reintroduction programs by
- stimulating social interactions
- maintaining health
- promoting normal development
- maintaining behaviors required for survival in the wild
STRATEGY
1. Find out about animals wild environment and behavior
2. Study behavior in the zoo to assess in light of known "normal" behavior. Do animals show signs of stress, boredom, stimulus
deprivation, aggression, etc.
3. Devise an enrichment strategy to alleviate these problems using one of the following approaches
- create functionally realistic habitats so they provide more behavioral opportunities - for example, hiding food to stimulate
foraging behavior - provide complex environments that are more stimulating - for example, 3-dimensional climbing structures with flexible limbs
- introduce novel objects that stimulate exploration and play - such as Boomer Balls
- provide mental stimulation in the form of puzzles and training tasks
- challenge animals with new and unpredictable tasks analogous to those faced by wild animals
- increase the range of sensory stimulation with colors, smells, textures and sounds