What Would a Monkey Want With a Mirror???
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2003
Contact:
Krys Bylund
(616)336-4374
kbylund@johnballzoosociety.org
John Ball Zoo's animal care goes far beyond a meal a day.
(Grand Rapids, MI) Nourishing food and a comfortable environment is the bare minimum care needed to keep captive animals alert, interested, healthy and active. Beyond this basic care, it is the challenge of every zookeeper to constantly work to introduce new and different foods, smells, and "play" items, to the exhibit. This regular, but irregular, break in the routine is what makes an animal's life in a zoo as similar to life in the wild as possible. This method of captive animal health is called enrichment and the care is relatively new to the animal husbandry so, what works for what species, ingenious new ideas, an accident that resulted in a discovery, are all constantly shared throughout the Zoo community. The best enrichment items re-create situations found in the wild. The foods, the smells, the "toys" given to the animals are generally very similar to things that could be found in the animal's natural habitat.
Each year John Ball Zoo designates the first Saturday of December as the kick off to a campaign which appeals to the community for these enrichment items. On Saturday, December 6, the Zoo will host CHRISTMAS FOR THE ANIMALS. The following list of items are much needed and in return for a donation, John Ball Zoo will reward visitors with hot chocolate, a visit with Santa, live Laplanders and their reindeer, an ice carver, authentic Dickens's carolers, live animal feedings and enrichments, and keeper talks.
CHRISTMAS FOR THE ANIMALS is a totally free event - with or without a donation of an enrichment item. Hours of the event are 12noon until 3:00pm, although the Zoo is open for regular business starting at 10:00am through 4:00pm. The Zoo is entirely free every day starting December 1. John Ball Zoo is located on Fulton Ave. just west of downtown Grand Rapids.
Animal Enrichment Items Needed
MIRRORS (It's a fact that birds love to look at themselves, but did you know that monkeys are fascinated as well?)
PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY, JAM (Keepers mix with food or smear it on various items, so that the animal spends some time licking it off.)
JELLO OR PUDDING (In absence of fresh juice, Jell-O can be mixed with water and frozen for a cool-down, sweet treat, ice-cube in the summer. Good for chimps, bears, otters, and big cats.)
PUMPKINS, SQUASH, WATERMELON, COCONUTS, PINEAPPLES (These fresh fruits and vegetables serve as edible "toys" and virtually all the animals enjoy the fun!)
SUNFLOWER SEEDS (A special treat for birds to chimps.)
CATTAILS, SUGAR CANE (Another edible activity for the variety of the animals including the bears, chimps, otters, and wolverines. They will spend a full day ripping them apart and eating them.)
EXTRACTS, KETCHUP, MUSTARD, SPICES, PICKLE RELISH, HUNTING SCENTS, SALAD DRESSING, YOGURT (Since all animals rely heavily on their sense of smell, these items are used to create scent trails for the cats, bears, chimps and more. These spices are also sometimes mixed with the food.)
PIG EARS (Keeps the teeth sharp and clean as well as provide a long-term chew for the animal.)
UNSWEETENED CEREAL, INSTANT HOT CEREAL, OATMEAL (A nutritious treat that is mixed with the regular diet to provide a new taste.)
PICKLES, DRIED FRUITS (They keep longer and are usually found in more exotic flavors than our animals receive regularly. Keeper Beth recently revealed that while the female bear isn't interested in pickles, she loves the pickle juice!)
SALSA, SPAGHETTI SAUCE, TOMATO SAUCE (Also used to perk up food or as a new scent.)
UNCOOKED PASTA OR RICE (Believe it or not, our keepers will occasionally cook these up and create a tasty casserole for their animals.)
FRUIT JUICES, POWDERED JUICES (From chimps to bears, everyone loves a morning taste of juice!)
MOLASSES OR MAPLE SYRUP (Used to enhance routine diets.)
FOOD COLORING (In fact, many animals do see color and adding color to dull looking food can make the difference between appetizing and disinterest!)
WADING POOLS (Have you ever seen the chimps take a bubble bath? Well, they do! The water and bubbles make for hours of entertainment for these intelligent primates! They are also used to provide shelter or a nesting area to certain animals.)
BIRD TOYS, FERRET TOYS, KONG TOYS (Strictly for fun!)
CUTTING BOARDS, PLASTIC CHEF KNIVES (Kitchen needs)
MIXED NUTS IN THE SHELL, GRANOLA BARS, GRAHAM CRACKERS (An afternoon snack)
