Shauna got a pumpkin today for enrichment. She loved it! As soon as they raised her house gate, she ran inside and grabbed it. Even though the pumpkin was the size of two put together, Shauna grabbed it with ease and ran around with it. It was as though she was showing off her prize. She eventually settled with it near her perch and just bit into it and rolled around with it. She would hide behind her tree and then jump out and pounce on it. After playing with it a bit longer, she carried it up on her perch and laid next to it. I think she was ready for a nap by then.
All of the animals seem to really enjoy eating/playing with pumpkins. They wouldn't normally be a part of their natural wild habitat (would they?), so why are the animals so attracted to them? Of course, the firehose balls, seesaws, slides, tires, etc., aren't in the wild either, but they also enjoy those items. Has this kind of enrichment program been accepted world-wide as a way to entertain animals that must be kept (for one reason or another) from returning to their wild state?
ReplyDeleteThere are some other facilities that use firehose to make enrichment items like perches or balls. as for pumpkins I am not sure. I know zoos do have enrichment programs set up for the animals but am not sure what they give them. The pumpkins are just something new for the cats to play with. Whenever presented with a new item they love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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