What is demeanour and why would we measure it? Demeanour is defined as “outward behaviour or bearing”. When looking at the demeanour of an animal, we are referring to the outward expression of how that animal is feeling and expressing itself at a given moment. Assessing demeanour is something that animal care staff will generally […]
Measuring Demeanour- A Qualitative Tool to Assess Animal Welfare Read More »
Domestic Animals Need Enrichment Too I was lucky enough to grow up on a horse farm and be around horses and the equine industry for most of my life. When I was a bit older I started my career in the zoo and exotics world and one of the things that struck me the most
A Guide to Domestic Horse Enrichment Read More »
I have written many articles about the benefits of a goal based enrichment programs and how to implement them into an animal care facility. In these articles I have looked extensively on the goal setting process and defining what success looks like, particularly with individual enrichment items, but how do we measure success on the
Animal Observations and Creating a Behaviour Baseline Read More »
Individual vs The Species When we talk about enrichment for a given animal, one of the first topics that generally comes up is the need to think about natural behaviours that the animals wild counterparts would be displaying on a day to day basis. While I still think this is one of the most important
Behavioural Husbandry for the “Individual” Read More »
Enrichment for captive animals comes in many forms, from scent based enrichment, social enrichment and environmental enrichment. In many animal care institutions across the world enrichment is still considered to be an “extra” and not part of the normal day to day husbandry routine. Im writing this article to give a definitive argument as to
Why enrichment isn’t an “extra” Read More »
For this article, I have decided to go in-depth into what I think a great enrichment program for zoos and aquariums should look like. Ever since I became fascinated with animal enrichment I have been experimenting with a variety of techniques and devices and have thought a lot about what I think works best for
A Modern Guide to Environmental Enrichment in Zoos and Aquariums Read More »
Today’s post comes to us from Stephanie Beatson, a Zookeeper with a passion for enrichment building. In this article, you will learn how to build an enrichment rope ladder that can be extremely useful when adding complexity to an exhibit. Rope ladders are pretty versatile when used as enrichment, and can be used for many
How to build an Enrichment Rope Ladder Read More »
A Hanging Fire Hose toy for antlered animals This hanging fire hose toy is extremely simple as it only requires a few strips of fire hose and 2 small pieces of wood but, I’ve had great success in using it with several antlered animals. The hanging strips of fire hose allow antlered animals to rub
Description A puzzle feeder is simply a device that has some sort of complexity involved in order for the animal to obtain food. Puzzle feeders are very popular with pet owners as it can allow for long lasting enrichment and even slow down eating in dogs and cats. Popular puzzle feeders include simple cardboard puzzle
Block Puzzle Feeder Read More »
Description This snake peg board is a very popular piece of enrichment for snakes and is also extremely easy to build and requires few materials. Snakes and reptiles in general can be very challenging to adequately enrich as they react much differently then many other animals such as the mammals this blog usually focuses on.
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