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| Animal Enrichment Program |
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The management of animals in a captive environment is not just limited to meeting their basic husbandry needs - food, water and shelter. Worldwide, modern zoos incorporate environmental enrichment programs into the animal's daily routine. This type of program is considered essential for a captive animal's overall health and well being - both physically and psychologically. Like any captive animal, which spends majority of its lifetime in the same 'enclosure' that is left in an unchanging environment, it becomes emotionally and physically impoverished with the lack of daily stimulation.
Enrichment programs provide animals with a more challenging and stimulating environment to increase the range and diversity of natural behavioral patterns.
The provision of enrichment also provides Zoo visitors with unique opportunities to observe animals exhibiting natural behavior's in a natural setting. |
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OBJECTIVES
To improve the welfare/well-being of the animals by reducing the levels of abnormal behavior, increasing exercise, satisfying 'behavioral' needs, optimizing the level of stimulation.
To generate Interest & educate zoo visitors by increasing the levels of natural & interesting behavior.
To conserve the endangered species by improving the success of various captive breeding & reintroduction programs by stimulating social interactions, maintaining health, promoting normal development.
To maintaining behaviors required for their survival in the wild. |
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STRATEGY
1. Understand animals' wild environment and behavior.
2. Observe animal behavior in zoos to assess in the 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 by using one of the following approaches Create functionally realistic habitats so that 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 to 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 |
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Examples of Enrichment
Chimpanzee
Artificial termite mound in exhibit's can be stocked with apple sauce, apple butter, and honey or tomato Ketchup. The chimpanzees use sticks as tools to get this. Sunflower seeds can also be used to scatter on the ground around the exhibit. This allows the animal to concentrate on finding the seeds. |
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Aviary Enrichment
Meal worms and crickets placed in clear plastic tube holes are placed on the ground for the birds. Different birds use different techniques to get the insects. Hornbills roll the tube along the ground until the insect falls out, and egrets pick them out with their long slim bill's.
Our expertise in the field of Animal Enrichment has helped many zoos improve the physiological and psychological well being of many captive animals resulting in a decrease in veterinary costs and mortality.
Our successful enrichment and presentation programs have enhanced the life of the animals, engaged and informed audiences and empowered animal keepers to provide animal husbandry and medical attention for the animals in their care. HKS Designer & Consultant International Company Ltd. (Formerly known as Asian Wildlife Consultancy Co. Ltd.) program have also supported client zoos by providing exciting, unique marketing products that have increased and have also maintained visitor attendance to the zoo. |
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| WHAT IS ENRICHMENT |
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When we put an animal in captivity, no matter how beautiful and natural the environment, we take away some of the most important aspects of that animal's well being. We limit the opportunity for the animal to use its senses and adaptations to "earn" a living by taking control of almost every facet of that animal's life. Central aspects including what, when, and where to eat and sleep, with whom to socialize, even with whom and when to mate are often planned by curators, architects, behaviorists, geneticists, nutritionists, and veterinarians who work hard to provide them with the best of everything possible.
Sometimes that means large quantities of the ideal food presented on the same stainless steel tray, by the same person, at the same time, in the same place every day. Life in captivity has the potential to be extremely predictable and therefore pretty boring for some animals. Enrichment was created to address this animal welfare issue. |
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Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
Animal Enrichment Program
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