Posts Tagged ‘Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting’

May
09

Carnivores Hunting

Posted by in Carnivores: Spots, Stripes and Sharp Teeth!,Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting

I have been told that I can be a little competitive.  I would like to think it is just that I am driven and do not like to fail.  Regardless, the end result is that if something is a little difficult for me I will often keep trying until I can get it right.  I often see that same manic glint in the eyes of our zoo residents as they try to figure out an enrichment item.  Enrichment is something that keepers offer to the animals at the Zoo every day.  It can be something as simple as a new food item, or as complex as a giant barrel made to look like a bird and filled with meat.  Whatever it may be, it is something different in an animal’s environment that encourages natural behaviors.

For me, nothing is more powerful than watching our carnivores “hunt”.  The absolute stillness which overtakes their bodies as they stalk their “prey” makes me not want to blink for fear of missing that crucial lunge.  Of course the pounce is so big that there was never a chance of missing it in the first place!  The Carnivore Keepers at the Houston Zoo help to encourage those natural hunting behaviors through the enrichment items they provide.

One of the lions proves that this species can indeed climb trees. She was able to knock the large femur bone from its perch.

The African Painted Dog pack works together to tear down a hanging piece of meat from a zip-line.

The carnivores at the zoo are fed a special meat diet formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of both felids and canids (cats and dogs).  They also receive special treats ranging from fish, to chicken, to even meal worms and crickets!  Presenting their regular diet as well as special treats in a variety of ways helps to engage that hunting behavior and offers the carnivores as well as our guests something special.

This can be especially important for social carnivores such as Lions and African Painted Dogs.  Offering them special food items as a group or an opportunity to hunt as a pack reestablishes crucial social ties.  Lions, for example, eat in order of a specific hierarchy.  The male eats first followed by females in order of dominance.  While keepers feed the majority of their diet separately to discourage aggression and make sure each lion receives their fair share, it is important to occasionally encourage the social interaction that occurs around a carcass.

The 15th of every month allows keepers to do just that.  The carnivores are offered a treat called bone-in-meat.  This is a large hunk of meat with the bone still inside.  The larger cats receive pieces ranging anywhere from 15-30lbs!  Presentations of this treat vary from sending it down a zip-line to staking in on exhibit, but the ripping and tearing involved in the consumption of this treat is enriching for animals and guests alike.

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Apr
23

A Day in the Life of Cali the Sea Lion

Posted by in Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Sea Lions,Training

This post is written by Alicia Kemery, Sea Lion Keeper, through the eyes of Cali, one of the Houston Zoo’s resident sea lions.

Kamia, my sea lion sister, and I are early risers. We are up and swimming around before the sun rises and our keepers arrive. Our male sea lion, Rockie, on the other hand, prefers to lounge around behind the scenes. Sometimes we sleep outside on exhibit, and sometimes behind the scenes in our bedroom…I just go with the flow because that’s just how I am.

Yep, it’s me – Cali!

When our keepers arrive, they always check in on us and say good morning.  Our keepers change things on us all the time: we never know if they are going to clean our exhibit first, play music, give us enrichment, or do class time first. I really get into class time & enrichment! Enrichment is like recess; it’s anything that changes our environment…and that we typically play with. My favorite enrichment is ice, but Ozarka bottles with fish & fish pops are a close second. There’s lots of other enrichment too, like bubbles, water play, toys, scents, music…the list is endless!

When I’m in class, I get to play with the keepers and learn things too. Sometimes I go into the keeper area and give kisses, hop up on the cart, learn a new behavior, work on research, play & goof off, and do husbandry behaviors too.

For those of you who don’t know what a husbandry behavior is, I will school you. It’s a medical behavior or any behavior that helps them take better care of us. They brush our teeth, look into our eyes with flashlights and they will listen to us breathe with a stethoscope. They’ve been getting us more comfortable with more complicated behaviors too, like x-rays, taking blood, and ultrasounds. These behaviors are highly positive and I will tell you why…for anyone who knows me, I’m a “wiggle worm!” So, the keepers’ give me a bunch of food and play with me for being still. They get really excited which makes it fun for me.

The vets are also very nice and feed me too. I like all the subjects in class because I get lots of fish, but most of all, play time with the keepers. I really enjoy interacting with them and seeing what crazy things I can get them to do…they think they’re training me, but really, I am training them…it’s great! They all love us very much. I’ve heard them say they spend more time with us than their own kids.

Check me out! I know how to recycle and help teach others too.

After the shows and class time, the keepers start wrapping things up for the day because they go home to their human companions. We will typically swim and play for a couple more hours before snuggling up for bedtime. Some people don’t know this, but we sleep on land and can be out of water for 8 plus hours at a time.

Oh! That reminds me…sometimes we take naps underwater. Guests always get worried… it’s okay! We can hold our breath for up to 20 minutes! So, sometimes we will lie on top of the drain or under a pipe to make it easier to stay at the bottom of the pool then snooze for a little bit. Cool, huh?

Speaking of all of you, our guests, we enjoy people watching and warming your hearts. So, please come by and visit us; we would love to see you! Well, that’s all I can think of for the moment. So, on that note, I’m going to go see what my keepers are up to. See you later!

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Apr
01

Chronicles of a Zoo Intern: Protecting Texas Wildlife

Posted by in Carnivores: Spots, Stripes and Sharp Teeth!,Guest Blogger Series

This post written by Melissa Talamantes

Texas, in my opinion, is a wonderful state, with many awesome things you cannot find anywhere else. We can claim Whataburger, sweet iced tea, and even some exotic animals. If you grew up in the city, like I did, it may seem weird to think there are wild animals that could be living in your backyard. The truth is there are! Texas is a huge state, and has different types of ecosystems that different animals can find habitable. We have plains, hills, deserts, swamps, and even mountains! Texas is home to many animals and plants, some famous, some not. Some famous ones are the state flower the bluebonnet, the state lizard which is the horned lizard, coyotes, rattlesnakes, cougars (which are also known as mountain lion or puma, depending on your area), and we are even known for our diverse bat population! However, there are some species of animals people never even knew lived in the United States, let alone Texas. Did you know that jaguars used to be found here? What about grey wolves, or ocelots? Those are just the mammals! Reptiles, fish, and invertebrates have a higher diversification of species. Since they are also smaller than mammals, they can be found in higher densities in one area.

Growing up, you may have noticed that the suburbs have created more houses, or the fields that you use to catch lizards in are gone because a new gated community is being built. This is happening everywhere, not just your town. With the population of humans increasing, and more people moving to the city, deforestation (the tearing down of natural land) is occurring at an alarming rate. With all of the development occurring, the animals are running out of land to live on that is undisturbed and safe. Even if only one species leaves the area, it can affect the entire ecosystem. For example, a certain species of mouse makes its home in an area of land. This land is developed to make housing, eliminating the mouse’s source of food and shelter. The mouse population could decide to leave to find other food. The cats, snakes, and even birds that eat the mice cannot hunt. Due to this, the predators can die from starvation, or leave the area to find other food. This affects the other animals that eat the snakes, birds, and cats. This continues on because everything is interconnected in an ecosystem. If there is no more land for an animal to go to, the species can eventually die out.

One prime example is the ocelot. This small cat used to be found all over Texas, but now only two small sub-populations can be found here. It is estimated that there are less than 100 ocelots in the Texas wild today. According to the USFWS (United States Fisheries & Wildlife Service), the ocelot is threatened with extinction in Texas. The global population is a different story. In South America, stable populations of ocelot can be found, however it is a different sub-species than the one found in Texas. There are two varieties: the general ocelot (in Texas) and the Brazilian ocelot (in South America). Due to the stable population of the ocelot, in general, the IUCN has listed this species as of least concern. As Texans, it is up to us to help preserve this species that has almost disappeared from our home.

One of the reasons the ocelot population declined was the demand for their pelt since it is so beautifully patterned. Ocelot fur was very popular, and everyone seemed to want one in the sixties and seventies. Ocelot are very small animals though, their weight ranges from 25-35 pounds, so it took nearly forty ocelots to create ONE coat! Another reason their population declined was the pet trade. Ocelots are small, gorgeous cats that people believed would make good pets. Not the best idea! Ocelots are completely different from your house cat. House cats have had thousands of years to be domesticated, and even then, all of our cats still have their natural instincts to hunt and stalk. Ocelots are not domesticated. They are wild animals. They may appear cute and cuddly, but they will defend themselves if threatened, and can cause severe damage.

One ocelot calls the Houston Zoo home; Novia first came to the Houston Zoo when she was one year old as part of a breeding program to help diversify the genetics in the species. (Because of the low population in Texas, there is a high probability of inbreeding. This can cause genetic mutations, medical conditions to arise, and even death.) When a carnivore first arrives to the zoo, they must stay in quarantine for thirty days to ensure they are healthy and safe. When Novia was in quarantine, it was discovered she actually had a medical condition that was genetic. This means that if she had kittens, her offspring might also have this condition. It was decided that she should be spayed, meaning she can no longer reproduce. Even though she could not have kittens anymore, the Houston Zoo decided it would be best for Novia to stay here. This was because the zookeepers knew her medical history and could best provide for her care.

Isn’t she just gorgeous!?

 

Novia is currently 4.5 years old, and weighs about 15 pounds. She is a bit smaller than the average ocelot, but every animal is different and she is in good body condition. Novia seems to enjoy cat toys and prefers mice to her meat diet, but we give her the mice to sneak in her medicine. (Shhh!) She is also a celebrity! National Geographic recorded a video of Novia going under surgery, and you can view it here. Like all ocelots, Novia is typically nocturnal and prefers to lounge and sleep during the day. You may have noticed her sleeping on her platform when you visit the zoo. This is not because of boredom; this is because that behavior is what is most natural to her. (Also like most cats, they love napping!) Her eyes are very large to allow light in at night, so she can see better (which is true for all ocelots), and if you look at her picture, you can see her beautiful coat. If you ever see an ocelot in the Texas wild, you are one extremely lucky person!

We should all try to preserve our great state’s land not only for ourselves, but also for the other species that call it home. It may be hard to remember that other species live in our backyard because they may be small, only out at night, or up in trees, but they do live with us. We should all be true Texans and fight for their home, just as we would fight for ours. 

Here we have Novia celebrating her birthday! (She just turned four.) The keepers decorated her exhibit with presents, enrichment toys, and a pool filled with a crab for her to enjoy!

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Mar
17

Orangutan Introductions: A Semi-Solitary Primate Gets Social!

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Behind the Scenes,Primates

Orangutans have been described as “semi-solitary” animals for a long time now, ever since scientists started following them around in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra some 40 years ago. It was evident then and now that most wild orangutans choose to be alone for much of their time, with the exception of mothers and infants, who have the lengthiest bond in the primate world. However, the longer we study the red apes, we discover that they have the potential and the ability to be very social – when and where they want to, strictly on their own terms. The biggest reason for sociality is food. If a fruiting tree is discovered, it will be set upon by more than one orangutan, and possibly up to six or seven at a time. They will eat peacefully together – until the fruit runs out. And, we have also seen youngsters playing in the forest, when old enough to get off mom and do so. The mothers will pass each other like ships in the night, but the kids will get off and play with each other.  And, in zoos and in nature, babies will stay with their mothers for up to 7- 9 years before venturing off on their own.

Here in the zoo, we honor our orangutans semi-solitary nature by not forcing them into big groups. Rather, we manage them by using flexible social housing: that is, by keeping them in more natural social pairings of mother and infant, while allowing them some choice in whom they can visit. We can periodically test the social waters by putting up an introduction door between two rooms – a door with 2”x 2” mesh whereby two animals on either side of the door can see, smell and even touch one another. If they show no interest in visiting, we simply close the solid door between them. If they act aggressive, we close it more quickly! But, if they play or groom or share food, it tells us that a full introduction might be a good thing to attempt.

We have done introductions of various configurations throughout the years, but the ones that can be the most interesting and engaging are those between young orangutans. We are working on introducing two young females currently: Indah and Aurora. Indah is a 9 year old Sumatran orangutan who was surrogate-reared by Cheyenne, our 40 year old hybrid female. When Aurora was born and then sadly rejected by Kelly, we immediately began introducing Aurora to Cheyenne so that she would have the maternal guidance that she needed. During that time, Indah was also involved in the process and was very interested in Aurora. We hoped that they would become a happy trio, at least for a while, but once Aurora was actually given to Cheyenne, it wasn’t long before she decided that Indah needed to leave. This happens with regularity in the wild: mothers will push their older kids out once they give birth to their newest baby. At the age of 7, 8 or 9, it is time to leave the nest, both figuratively and literally. So, we were not too surprised when Indah found herself pushed out.

 

In an effort to allow Indah the experience with infants that she needs to become a good mother herself, we have begun re-introductions between her and Aurora, without Cheyenne fully in the mix. This is easily accomplished by using what we call a “creep” door. That is a door that we open only widely enough for the infant to pass through it. Cheyenne’s face will barely fit through, so she can watch what goes on, and she can also stick her arms through the open space, but she cannot pass all the way through. This has been highly enriching for both kids but a bit of a conundrum for Cheyenne, who is naturally protective of her newest charge. She frequently decides that Aurora should not pass all the way through the creep door, and holds her firmly but gently by an ankle so that Aurora is tethered to her as she plays with Indah. Enjoy the video clip here to see a bout of play in which Cheyenne controls the situation!

 


Come to the zoo to see Cheyenne and Aurora together, or see Indah and Solaris together outside some days. You also might see Solaris and his mother Kelly outdoors together, and on these days, we are introducing Indah to Aurora inside the nighthouse.  Got all that?

 

Orangutans are complex creatures and so are their social interactions, as you can see!

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Mar
01

Chronicles of a Zoo Intern: Experiencing Enrichment

Posted by in Carnivores: Spots, Stripes and Sharp Teeth!,Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting

This post written by Marissa Talamantes

Whenever guests visit the carnivore section, I notice they spend a good amount of time watching the animals on exhibit. While observing them, I am sure they notice random objects in the exhibits such as toys, butcher paper, bones, or even a distinct smell. We put these objects, known as enrichment, on exhibit for the animals.

Enrichment is something the Carnivore Department does every day in different forms. We use ENRICH as an acronym for Encouraging Natural Responses In Creative Habitats. Every day the keepers want to encourage natural responses in the animals by stimulating them with different objects and scents.

Here is Pandu, the male tiger playing tug-of-war with his enrichment object. This enrichment would receive a 5 for the day!

Each month the Carnivore Department makes a chart for every animal in the department. This chart is set up like a monthly calendar, and every day is labeled with a different behavior to encourage, as well as an example of an enrichment item that could be used. Some behaviors we encourage are playing, digging, and even jumping! Underneath the type of enrichment is a rating scale of 1 to 5. After we set up the enrichment for the day, we observe and rate the animal’s response. A score of one would be given if the item or activity is completely ignored. If there is a lot of interaction with the item or activity, a score of five would be given.

Here is an example of the calendar the Carnivore Department uses. The date is next to the behavior the keepers want to encourage, and the object of enrichment is underneath!

On certain days of the week, different animals in the department receive a gorge diet, meaning a large amount of food is given. This high amount stimulates behavior that is similar to making a large kill. The day after the gorge diet, the participating animals have a fasting day. This means they do not receive their raw meat diet, but bones instead; not only are they fun to chew on, but bones are also good for their teeth! This is similar to how food might be consumed in the wild where large meals are followed by days of fasting. The gorge diet enrichment helps simulate the uncertainty of finding food. Animals in nature are unsure of when their next meal will occur. Due to this uncertainty, the animals eat as much of the prey as possible in order to withstand the next possible days of not eating.

The Carnivore Department has different types of enrichment options, but some animals appear to have favorites. Jonathan (the male lion) and Ivy (the black leopard) appear to really enjoy poop from an Ankole steer, a livestock breed exhibited here at the zoo. Jonathan and Pandu (the male tiger) also appear to have favorite scents. Jonathan seems to like Polo cologne more than others, while Pandu seems to enjoy Stetson more.

Many items are donated by generous guests, docents, volunteers, and even staff. If you would like to learn more about enrichment at the zoo and the possibility of donating a toy for our animals, check out our Amazon Wishlist!

Here is Patty (an Andean Bear) scratching at the Christmas Tree she and her exhibit-mate, Willie, received for enrichment.

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Feb
14

What Do You Get a Sea Lion for Valentine’s Day?

Posted by in Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Holidays,Sea Lions

What do you get a sea lion for Valentine’s Day?  A fish popsicle, of course! The keepers at the Houston Zoo made chilly pops made of red Jello and fish, and they let guests toss them into the sea lion pool for Cali and Kamia, the Zoo’s two female sea lions. As you can see, they enjoyed their treats quite a bit:

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Jul
24

Rice University Interns Solve Giraffe Feeder Challenge

Posted by in Adaptations,African Forest,Animal News & Updates,Giraffes

Written by Mike Tseng, a summer intern at the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership

When people think of giraffes, enrichment is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But these adorable, tall animals need enrichment as much as any other animal!

Acacia Tree

In the wild, giraffes like to eat from tall acacia trees. These trees have thorns which make it difficult for the giraffes to feed from them, and sometimes there are ants living on the trees, which attack the giraffes when they try to feed! However, the giraffes are well equipped to meet these challenges, too! They have flexible, 18-inch long tongues they use to navigate around the thorns on the trees. These tongues also have thick skin to protect them from thorns and ants.

 

Thorn on acacia tree – ouch!

 

In the zoo, the giraffes are safe from threats when they are feeding, but they also don’t have many chances to use their wonderful tongues. Scientific research has shown that when giraffes don’t get to use their tongues often, they can become “bored” and may exhibit undesirable behaviors such as licking trees and fences. In order to avoid such behaviors, the zoo wanted to build a feeder that lets the giraffes exercise their tongues more often.

 

Interns at Rice University build a giraffe feeder

 

For the past six months, a team of freshman engineers from Rice University have been working on an enrichment feeder that challenges the giraffes by making them use their tongues for longer periods of time. This feeder also needs to look more natural in the giraffes’ exhibit. The current feeder is a plastic barrel covered with bamboo with holes drilled on the sides, and bamboo branches attached to it. The bamboo branches get into the way of the giraffes feeding, just like tree branches would in the real world. Also, holes in this device are just the right size–giraffes can put their tongues into the holes, but can’t put in their whole snouts, so they can’t eat the hay without using their tongues to grab it!

The giraffe feeder was created through a rigorous engineering design process by the Rice University freshmen, and no less than four prototypes were produced before the final feeder was made. Of course, we didn’t want the giraffes to get hurt using these feeders! The first prototypes went through safety tests before the giraffes used them. One was dropped from 12½ feet over 25 times just to prove that it was durable!  http://youtu.be/Gnp2Mu0YQZc

Even though the prototype is finished, we still don’t know if the giraffes will actually like it!

Will the giraffes like the new feeder?

Before the project can be completed, the puzzle feeder needs to prove that it indeed enriches the Houston Zoo giraffes. This means increasing feeding time and reducing negative stereotypical behavior in them. In order to prove these things, video clips of the giraffes interacting with the zoo’s cage feeder and our puzzle feeder are being recorded. By comparing the recordings, the Rice University students will be able to know if the giraffe are more enriched by the new feeder.

If you happen to pass by the giraffe exhibit this week, keep your eyes open–you may be able to see the feeder in action! If you’re not going to the zoo, don’t worry; the feeder may also be featured live on the zoo’s giraffe webcam at http://www.houstonzoo.org/webcam/giraffes/platform-cam/! You can also follow the Rice University freshmen’s progress on this and many other projects on their blog at http://rcelinternship.wordpress.com/.

Giraffes eating from the new feeder

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Jul
19

Meet the Zoo Keeper: Mary Clarke

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Meet the Staff,Primates

Have you ever wanted to know what being a zoo keeper is like? Well, here’s your chance! This week is Zoo Keeper Appreciation Week, so we’re featuring a zoo keeper each day to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at the Zoo. Today’s amazing keeper is Mary Clarke, who has been a zoo keeper here for nearly 2 years.

Primates keeper Mary Clarke offers a stick to Kindu, our youngest Red Tailed Guenon.

Growing up, Mary’s mom was a vet tech so it only makes sense that she has been an animal lover from the start. As she learned about the animal world, her interests evolved from domestic/medical to exotic/caretaking, thus starting her journey to become a zoo keeper!

One of Mary’s favorite aspects of the job is that nothing is predictable. Each day is different from the one before because no matter how hard you try, you cannot predict animal behavior. The Primate department is a large one with many different sections and different animals. The keepers in this section generally rotate through the various exhibits so they have to adjust their days based on which animals they are caring for. The job keeps Mary on her toes as she always has to think about enrichment, diet and behavior for each individual animal.

Even though her days are filled with a variety of activities, I asked Mary what a typical day was like and of course there is a lot of cleaning! She generally cleans for 5-6 hours a day, starting with the exhibits, then moving to the inside night houses once the animals are out for the public to view. Throughout the day, each species gets fed 3-4 times and we cannot forget about enrichment! Every day after feeding, the animals get some sort of enrichment. Then with what time is left, the keepers work on projects and training if possible.

Mary says that the biggest challenge about being a primate keeper is constantly trying to come up with new enrichment ideas. Primates are so smart, and each individual has different interests. So the keepers have to come up with new, novel ways to present some of the same things. If you have any enrichment ideas you can share them with the keepers here at the Houston Zoo. Or, if you have an interest in purchasing enrichment items for some of our animals, you can check out their wish list at Amazon.com.

Mary works with a lot of different animals in the primates department including the babirusa, De Brazza’s monkey, siamangs, mangabeys, colobus, lemurs, and chimps…and it doesn’t stop there! When asked which are her favorite (a tough question for any keeper) Mary said that can depend on how they are behaving that day. But her current favorite is the baby siamang, Leela. She has started a lot of training with her and she is quite a rockstar!

Mary has been especially hard at work building a bond with Leela, the baby siamang. In order to build this bond, they spend a lot of time playing together through the wire mesh of the enclosure. This type of interaction is called “protected contact.”  Even though Leela is a baby, she will grow to be big and very strong, and the safety of the keepers and the animals is of utmost importance. By interacting with Leela, Mary has found that she is very ticklish under her chin and if she lets you tickle her there she makes a cute noise. To max out the adorable factor, when Leela gets excited she puts on a funny play face where she smiles really big, closes her eyes and tries to run around (with a tendency to run into things). After observing her mom, Jambi, the keepers noticed that she has the exact same play face!

The training and play time actually ties into what Mary said is one of the most rewarding aspect of the job: when an animal accepts you. They are wild animals, and you don’t want to push any boundaries. You need to work on their terms, and when they are willing to work with you it is pretty awesome.

Stay tuned all week for more keeper features!

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